The Path Of Fate
by speed killz
Summary: A unique story taking place across two time periods. MegXJo. AU. Meg is a normal girl struggling to get through school, work, and pay her bills on time. Jo is a hardened warrior from a time long past. If you want something other than typical, this is it!
1. Chapter 1

The Path Of Fate, Chapter 1.

A/N: AU, this fic takes place in a fictional world separate from the original Burst Angel universe. This story actually flows across two different time periods as well. A date will indicate the time period given.

1330 A.D

The female warrior was strong and proud. She sat erect upon her war horse, back arched as she held her sword in the air. The black horse beneath her clopped energetically back and forth, head swaying side to side, yet the girl had a relaxed grip upon the leather reins. Her dark red eyes gleamed dully in the quickly fading light; soon it would become harder to see. Her long silver hair was tied into a tight, high pony-tail on the back of her head, bound by a simple leather tie. Even bound, its lengths fell to her waist. She bore a tan from her many days in the sun; truly, she was beautiful, in an unrestrained, exciting way. The sword she held in her left hand was a deadly sharp blade. It was honed to a razor edge, clean and bright. For now. The hilt was wrapped in beautiful, dark purple cloth. It was worn in certain places, the fabric tearing and fading to mere strands, yet it was not time to rewrap it. She was adorned in her battle armor, a simple leather chest guard bound to her with two straps and ornate buckles. Under that was a black fabric undershirt. Her left arm had a forearm guard made of light leather. It was of simple construction. Her right arm held no protection, but hanging on the side of her horse, was one of her other weapons. It was a glove of sorts, that she could slip her hand into. Gripping it tightly, it was inset with long metal blades, about a foot in length. There were three of them. On the right side of her horse, hung her one handed axe. It was a blunt crushing weapon, and it had served her well. Her horse was energetic despite the weight of his rider, and his armor. Metal plating draped over it's hindquarters, and it had a chest plate as well. A quick glance took in her legs. She was wearing a skirt made of wolf pelt, and shin guards of the same. The fur was a dark brown color; slaying them had been a joyous occasion. Her sword sheath was on her right hip, a black strip of leather encircling her slim waist to hold it against her. The sheath was black, and she had been wearing it for so long that she could no longer feel it's weight; she naturally compensated for it when she walked, passed by others, and sat or otherwise moved.

She gestured with her sword again, and the ranks of men in front of her fell silent.

Her dark red eyes slid from one man to another, capturing the gaze of each. The silence was broken only by the soft clank of metal on metal, the occasional grunt or cough, and the sound of a dying fire trying desperately to cling to life.

"We will attack at nightfall!" The warrior yelled, lowering her sword so that it was by her side, pointing at the ground. "Kill everyone, burn the place to the ground!"

The bloodlust was evident in her voice, and her men greeted her words with a hearty roar of approval, weapons drawn and thrust into the air.

"Take what you want, kill who you want, our only objective is to wipe them from existence! Every last one of them!"

The beautiful, battle-lusting warrior tugged on her reins, then dismounted swiftly on the left. She rode her mount bare-back.

"When the killing is done, we shall celebrate with anything that is left! Try to avoid burning down the store houses containing the ale and food!"

She walked across the line of her men, sword by her side. She paused when she reached the dying fire.

Ignoring the hot coals, she reached into the center of the fire, grasping a handful of burning dirt and ash. She brought her hand out of the fire, staring at the glowing heat burning into her skin. She brought her sword up, and coated the shiny blade in dirt and ash. It swiftly masked the shine, lending it concealment. She tossed the rest of the dirt and ash in her hand away carelessly.

Standing, she looked at the twenty men she controlled.

"For each of us, there are ten of them, but it matters not." She said, her voice calm.

"We will charge in under the cover of night, slashing anyone who dares get in our way. By the time they have awoken, they will be burning in their cots."

Another cheer.

A satisfied smile crossed the girl's lips as her dark red eyes narrowed slightly. She walked back to her horse, and threw herself up onto his back. She righted herself, then snapped the reins. The horse tossed his head, stomping his hooves inpatiently.

"Time to march!" She commanded, pointing forward with her sword. She spurred her horse into action, taking up the lead as she always had. She never did like the idea of leading her warriors from behind. She missed out on the action that way.

She could hear the clanking of weapons, some being drawn, others being holstered. Within seconds, her warriors had materialized into a swift-jogging formation, taking up lead behind her horse. She didn't set the pace too fast; she didn't want to tire her men, and she didn't want to reach the village before the light had completely disappeared from the sky.

They arrived some time during the middle of the night. They paused on the outskirts of the village. They seemed to have some sort of guard patrolling around, but he looked to be alone. They were on top of a hill, laying in the dirt. They could barely make out the shape of the patrolling guard, but their village had a few torches lit, stuck in holders on the walls of the huts.

Slowly, her horse about twenty feet behind her so he wouldn't be seen, she inched closer through the dirt. About 150 feet or so separated them from the few houses on the edge of the village; only the torches told them they were where they wanted to be.

The graceful warrior inhaled deeply, the scent of dirt and grass strong. The cool wind carried with it the scent of human population. The sky was overcast with heavy, pregnant clouds. It would soon rain. The moon was nowhere to be seen.

Even as she cast her eyes to the black sky, the first few icy drops of rain fell upon her, dotting her skin with moisture. It was refreshing, invigorating, and it stirred the warring desire inside of her.

"Gullvieg," The silver-haired girl spoke. "We strike."

The bearded man beside her nodded. "Yes, Johan." He turned to the other men lined up behind them, and raised his fist in the air.

"We strike!" He said in a hushed whisper.

Weapons were drawn, as Johan stood. She drew her katana, grip firm around the purple hilt. She turned, and walked back to her horse. She quickly mounted him, then spurred him forward. She charged down the steep grassy hill, the men following behind her. They were trying to be silent, she knew, but it wouldn't be long before the guard was alerted.

Faster than her men on foot, she was nearly upon the guard before he realized what was happening. He turned, a yell forming in his throat. A bellow erupted from his throat, but was cut short as Johan galloped past, her sword coming down to slice his throat. His head severed cleanly, flying off and hitting the ground. As fast as she had been riding, she still felt specks of blood peppering her arms and slender, bare waist.

Seconds behind her, her men opened up with a war cry. Some of them grabbed torches from the walls, intent on using them to burn down the villages huts.

The war cries were met with warriors flooding the village, streaming out of every hut. They were armed with swords, spears, and axes.

Johan charged them, slashing left and right. She managed to mortally wound two men, before one tossed a spear in her direction. Fearing more for her mount than herself, she veered to the right sharply. The spear impacted the edge of her leather chest guard, but the tip lanced off, slicing through the soft skin of her chest. She could barely feel the pain, and she flung herself off her horse. She quickly slapped her horse on his rear, then grabbed her battle axe as he took off, bowling over anyone in his way.

Raising her sword, she slashed down viciously at an attacking swordsman. He raised his shield, and her sword bounced harmlessly off. She gritted her teeth, and brought her axe up in her right hand. She raised it above her head, then brought it down with all the strength she had. The man had just been lowering his shield to attack, and she watched in pleasure as his eyes widened in fear, mouth open in a silent scream before her axe crushed through his skull. The weight and force carried the blunt weapon down to his jaw, before she pulled the axe out. Blood and brains flew out of his bifurcated skull. A savage growl escaped Johan's throat as she violently spun around, seeking a new target. All around her, her men were delivering swift and gruesome death to the less-than-prepared enemies. She watched in morbid satisfaction as Gullvieg thrust his long spear through an unprotected enemie's gut. The weapon sliced through the soft flesh easily, blood spurting out and speckling Gullvieg's face and beard. The force of the weapon carried the spear-tip through his intestines, shredding fat, slicing muscle and tissue, breaking or pushing aside bone. The spear-tip emerged from the man's back in a sickening squelch. The man looked up at Gullvieg with a shocked, and horrified expression on his face, and Gullvieg grinned widely in return. A second later, and the burly man ripped his weapon from the now-lifeless body, the sharp points on the end of the spear doing twice the damage coming back out. There was a shredded loop of pinkish-grey intestine wrapped around the spear, and as the body flopped to the ground, Gullvieg laughed heartily.

They continued to mercilessly grind away at the enemy until they were either all dead, or retreating. Johan and her forces chased them as they fled, following them to a large building on the far side of the village. The few remaining resisting soldiers barricaded themselves inside the holy house with the trembling women and terrified children, but Johan paid them no heed.

Her back warmed by the burning hut less than ten feet from her even as cold rain plopped down on her in an ever-increasing torrent, she pointed to a demolished hut.

"Grab the timber, stack the pyre!" She roared, wiping blood from her cheek.

Her men were quick to obey, as Johan walked over to the flaming hut behind her. She pulled out a piece of timber that had it's end on fire, and held it like a torch. Her men were swift at gathering wood from the other broken, yet unburned house, and just as swift at piling it around the house of worship.

Within minutes, they had the survivors inside the holy house surrounded by both dry wood and her own men. She offered a short, barking laugh, before tossing her torch onto the dry wood. Within a minute, it had caught, spreading slowly.

She stood silently as the fire spread, eventually catching the holy house on fire as well. It was only a matter of time.

The tortured screams of the men, women, and children being burned inside, choked by acrid smoke, fell on deaf ears as the roaring fire reflected in her dark red eyes.

After a few minutes, one of the doors was thrown open, no doubt by a man lost in desperation. The second a figure emerged, two of her archers unleashed swift, unforgiving death. The body flopped to the ground with a strangled gurgle, two long shafts protruding from the throat.

"Any one else?" She roared into the night. "Face death!"

She was answered by only screams and tortured sobbing.

A/N: This will be multi-chaptered, with quite an original idea. I was hoping to bring something unique to the fandom with this, and I eagerly await your reviews. Next chapter focuses on Meg and a few other characters, in a present-time sort of situation. Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

The Path Of Fate, Chapter 2.

The library was quiet; not due to the strict noise limiting rules, but due to the fact that nearly everyone had left.

A soft thump was heard as a tired girl shut a heavy book with an exhausted sigh. She leaned back in her seat, stretching out. She covered her mouth as a yawn escaped her, making her eyes water with its intensity.

Slowly she stood, once again stretching, arms above her head. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told her it was 8:53. They would be closing in less than ten minutes. She had been here since five.

Stomach growling obnoxiously, she picked up the book. She slid her chair back to where it belonged, then leaned down and picked up her black and red backpack. Slinging it over one shoulder, she walked slowly toward the front desk.

"Just this for you, dear?" The librarian asked, taking the book from her. She nodded tiredly, handing the librarian her card.

A quick scan and a beep later, the librarian ran the book by the demagnetizer, then handed the book and the card back to her.

"Have a good night." She said, smiling at her.

"Thanks Carlie, you too." She said, walking toward the large glass doors.

As she reached the doors, her phone vibrated. Looking outside to the dark night, she hesitated. It was getting colder the last couple days.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket, and flipped it open. She had a three new texts. The most recent one was from Kyohei, the boy who lived a few doors down from her. She sighed, and opened it.

_"Hey Meg! I trust you're at the library. Want me to come pick you up? I need to go out to get a few things, and it looks like it is supposed to rain." _

She thought about it, then figured, why the hell not. She rapidly keyed in a text, then looked at the other two texts. They were from two girls in her class, asking her what she was doing. She contemplated bothering to reply, then realized she had nothing else to do while waiting.

She texted them both back, telling them that she was at the library, waiting to get picked up.

She closed her phone, and absent-mindedly ran a hand through her long, dark red hair. She looked out the glass doors, but due to the blackness outside, and the library lights inside, all she could see was glare. As well as the reflection of her face, complete with dazzling blue, yet tired, eyes.

She shifted her gaze away from her face, self-conscious of her relatively white skin in this plethora of dark-skinned, dark haired humans.

Her phone vibrated again, and she brought it up, flicking it open with ease. Another from Kyohei.

_"Be there in about four minutes."_

Meg sent back a non-descript "okay", and closed her phone. Sure, the library wasn't far from her apartment, but it always amazed her how fast Kyohei seemed to drive when he was on his way to get her. She wasn't oblivious to his adoration, yet she was unsure of how to let him know she wasn't interested. She teased him by no means, she made it quite clear that they were merely friends, but she didn't know how to make him realize that no amount of work on his part would change that. She sighed. Oh well.

Another few minutes, and her phone began ringing. She answered it, already knowing who it was.

"Hey."

"I'm here." Was all he said.

She hung up, and pushed open the door. She waved goodnight to Carlie once more, before stepping out into the night.

The crisp air immediately raised goosebumps on her exposed flesh, and a shiver passed through her body as she adjusted to the air. Cold droplets of rain were falling, scattered by the light breeze. There wasn't enough moisture to call it rain yet though, and she didn't get very wet in the few steps it took to reach Kyohei's car.

She walked around to the left side of the car, where the passenger sat, and opened the door. As she sunk into the seat, enveloped by the warm interior, she was greeted by Kyohei.

"Hey, how's it going?"

"Tired." She replied. "Thanks for coming to get me, I appreciate it."

He smiled. "No problem."

She looked around the small interior of the car, taking in the familiar dash line, inhaling the fresh scent of black ice air freshener. This car was, as she knew from Kyohei's constant dialogue, a 1992 Suzuki Cappuccino. Black in color, it was actually pretty cute.

Meg smiled to herself fondly, as Kyohei shifted into first, raising the engine RPM before gently letting out the clutch. The car moved smoothly forward, and they turned around before exiting the parking lot.

The first time she had seen the car, when he had bought it a year or two ago, he had gotten so offended when she had called it cute. The thought of his expression still made her smile, as he had informed her that it was not "cute", it was a spirited two-door roadster.

Not long after that, Kyohei had set out to make it less cute. A full bodykit one month, then a lowering suspension the next. A while after that it got a pair of blacked out rims and low-profile tires. It had an agressive wing, which borderlined on absolutely rediculous on the tiny car.

It looked good now, she thought, staring out the window at the passing scenery. But when he had first bought it, she couldn't help but giggle. Especially at the back. The rear end looked so...feminine. The bodykit had fixed that though, and she no longer giggled at this car.

"So where did you need to go, anyway?" She asked.

Kyohei answered by flicking on his signal, and slowing down. He made a right turn into a parking lot, illuminated brightly by lamp posts and the grocery store's neon sign.

"I just need a few ingredients for supper tonight." He said, whipping his car into a parking spot and braking smoothly.

Meg's stomach chose that moment to gurgle once more, and Kyohei grinned at her as he shut off his car, pulling the key out.

"Would you like to join me for supper?" He asked.

Meg bit her lip, undecided. On one hand, Kyohei's food was absolutely delicious, and she herself was a terrible cook, but...picking her up AND treating her to supper? She didn't want him to think anything he shouldn't be...

Kyohei waved a hand at her dismissively, seeing her hesitation. "Nothing wrong with having a friend over for food, right?" He asked.

Meg nodded, her hunger getting the best of her. Besides, if Kyohei wanted her to hang out with him, she surely could, in return for him picking her up. As long as he knew the boundaries, everything was fine.

"Okay. Thank you again." She said, opening her door.

Kyohei grinned, then opened his door.

"Wait!"

Kyohei paused, half in and half out of his car. He sunk back into his seat, then turned and looked at her.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Don't you need to pull that thingy?" She asked, pointing to the parking brake. She had seen him do it countless times to keep the car from rolling on inclines, and often on level pavement too.

He laughed, getting out of his car. "It's in gear." He said, shutting his door.

Meg wasn't sure what that meant, but she didn't argue as she shut her door firmly.

Meg walked side by side with Kyohei, shivering in the cold air of the night. Luckily, it was a short walk to the entrance, and it was warmer inside.

"What are you looking for?" She asked.

Kyohei shrugged. "I was just going to make something relatively simple tonight." He said. "Spaghetti."

Meg's eyes widened, and her stomach rumbled appreciatively. "Excellent choice! Delicious!" She exclaimed.

Kyohei laughed at her behaviour, then pointed down an aisle.

"We should find most of what we need down here." He said, grabbing a basket from the front of the aisle.

Meg followed behind Kyohei, looking left and right at all the items lining the shelves. About halfway down, they stopped, and Kyohei reached out, selecting two boxes of spaghetti noodles. He dropped them into the basket, and they continued walking. A few steps down found them at the sauces, and Kyohei hummed and hawwed for a few minutes before selecting one he thought was appropriate.

Into the basket it went.

"You know, Meg, I never noticed til now, but..."

Meg's attention was captured by Kyohei, and she looked up from the box of cookies she was holding.

"Hmm?"

"You...you look really nice today." He said, before turning and continuing down the aisle. Meg blinked, staring after the retreating boy, before realizing what he had said.

She looked down at herself, wondering what it was that had caught his attention.

Her dark blue jeans were skin-tight, curving around her hips into well-toned thighs. Her black shirt clung tightly to her, hugging her ample chest, sleeves stopping just past the shoulder. It was a V-neck, yet didn't show off too much cleavage. It was rather reserved, compared to everything else she had in her closet, she knew. Her shoes were high-top DC's, a pastel blue overlaid with pink. The laces were neon green, reminiscent of many a favourite thing, Monster energy drink amongst the top.

She wasn't sure what made today so different, she mused. Perhaps it was her slightly messed, wind-blown hair? Either way, she didn't know. Outfits like this comprised much of her school attire, and it wasn't anything spectacular. She could barely afford spectacular.

She shrugged, her gaze returning to the box of cookies in her hand. Kyohei was just a typical boy, hungry for anything with curves and tight clothes that showed them off. She followed him, the dark haired boy slipping from her mind.

Forty-five minutes later, and the quest for spaghetti, sauce, a few spices that Kyohei was low on, ground beef, and cheese turned into an epic adventure that ended with a bill totalling in the hundred dollar range, requiring much more than a basket to carry.

Meg happily pushed the cart laden with food and drink outside, not minding all to pay for her half of the goodies she had bought.

"I wonder if we have enough trunk space?" Kyohei wondered aloud. Meg shrugged, slowing as she reached the car.

Shivering, she waited as Kyohei popped the trunk.

"Start the car and get the heat going, while I load these in!" She said, reaching into the cart and pulling out bag after bag.

Kyohei nodded, sinking into his car. Over the rustle of plastic bags, Meg could hear a ratcheting sound, then a clunk. A second later, and the car hummed to life.

Kyohei jumped out, and hurriedly helped with the few bags remaining. Once they were all in, he shut the trunk lid, before pushing the cart over to the designated cart return. Meg hurriedly got into the car as Kyohei jogged back.

Once inside, Meg shivered as warm air blasted over her skin. She hummed appreciatively, as Kyohei dropped the parking brake, flicking the transmission into reverse.

"How long will it take for supper to be ready?" Meg asked.

Kyohei's eyes narrowed as he backed out of the stall, cutting the wheel to the right.

"About forty minutes." He said, turning back to face forward. The gearshift flew into first, and the car smoothly began to roll forward.

Meg nodded. "Okay, I'll put all my stuff away in my apartment, then shower. After that I'll come over to keep you company until the food is done. Sound good?"

Kyohei nodded, turning out of the parking lot onto the main road. He accelerated hard, turbo spooling up as the needle passed the five thousand RPM mark. As he shifted, the harsh sound of an aftermarket blow off valve was heard, venting pressurized air to atmosphere.

Meg couldn't keep the smile from spreading over her face as she heard that sound. Sure, she didn't know anything about cars, but she knew she loved that sound.

Within ten minutes, they were home. Kyohei pulled into his parking stall, and let the car idle in neutral for a few minutes, letting the turbo cool down. He would need to get a turbo-timer one of these days.

Once the car was shut off, they exited, each grabbing half the bags from the trunk. They walked as quickly as they could toward the main entrance. Kyohei stepped forward, and pulled open the door, holding it for Meg. She thanked him as she stepped through, then stopped at the inner locked door.

Kyohei quickly produced his keys, unlocking that as well. They were on the second floor, and they walked toward the stairs.

"Which bags are whose?" Meg asked, looking into the bags she carried.

Kyohei hummed, looking into his bags.

"Oh, these two are yours." He said, hefting the ones in his right hand. "They have your Monster, and your boxes of cookies."

Meg nodded, and they reached the top of the landing.

They set their bags down, and Kyohei quickly exchanged bags with her.

"See you soon." Kyohei said, nodding to her. She offered him a smile, thanking him again for picking her up.

Meg went left, Kyohei went right, each toward their own apartments.

Meg sighed as she kicked the door closed behind her, leaning against it. She had been up at five this morning, giving her enough time to get ready as well as an hour to study before class. She was exhausted. She kicked off her shoes, then walked into the kitchen. She set her bags on the counter, then began to unload them. The four-pack of Monster went into the refrigerator, while the four boxes of assorted cookies went into the cupboards. Another bag contained bread, peanut butter, and a small box of strawberry pocky. She had to smile at how cliched it must have looked, the white American girl buying pocky at the store, but she didn't care. It was delicious. Those items went their respective locations, as she opened the refrigerator. It was depressingly empty, and she sighed, thankful that she had Kyohei's cooking to look forward to later tonight. However, that didn't solve her hunger problem right now...perhaps a little snack wouldn't hurt. She grinned to herself as she reached for a box of chocolate chip cookies. A few wouldn't hurt her.

It was dark inside the lit apartment; no lights were on. The glow that emanated from the various monitors placed on the walls, desk, and anywhere there was room cast enough light to see by though. The majority of computers were located in the living room of the apartment, two monitors mounted side by side at head height on the wall, both connected to a single tower. It was useful for displaying large maps, or two different pages at once. On her desk sat another flat-screen monitor. It was connected to a separate tower. This was her powerhouse. It had all the latest toys, multiple USB ports, the best video and sound cards available, thirty two gigabytes of RAM, a four terabyte hard-drive, and two separate 2 terabye external hard-drives were connected via USB. It was under consideration though; the girl who owned it was not sure if she should convert it to wireless or not. She had the wireless card; she had ordered it two weeks ago and it had finally shown up. Now, she was having second thoughts. Sure, cords were draped everywhere, but ethernet was fast, and reliable. The card in her hand, when paired with the router she had, boasted similar capabilities, but she had always doubted the capabilities of wireless, as they lagged behind the ethernet technology. She thought about it, staring at the white screen of her monitor, before deciding to leave it for tomorrow. She would figure it out then. She placed the card back into the box, then carefully set it aside. She would deal with that tomorrow.

She looked up at the two wall mounted screens, and sighed. Displayed on both screens were complex lines of code. She had been looking through this for weeks, reading the code as easily as if it were normal text on a screen.

"Having trouble, Amy?" A male voice teased her softly in her ear. The young girl's chocolate brown eyes narrowed, and she shook her head. She readjusted the headset on her head, then spoke softly into the microphone.

"The only trouble I'm having is babysitting amateur code-writers. Although, I gotta say, these guys aren't too bad. It's only the occasional mistake, and it's more of a typo-error than a full-on logical error."

The voice in her ear chuckled quietly. "Oh, the trials and tribulations of being the best at what you do." He mocked jokingly. "How will you ever survive, Princess?"

Amy smirked at the pet-name her friend had established for her over the years they had known each other.

"So, when you going to road trip down here to see me?" She asked, biting her lip as she returned her gaze to the monitor on the desk. She was reclined in a comfortable arm chair, legs curled up underneath her. A quick Alt+Tab on her wireless keyboard changed the screen from displaying a blue-print, to displaying an instant messaging program. Complete with webcam. The owner of the soft, tantalizing voice in her ear was smirking at her, his image crystal clear on her screen.

The youth had flawless dark skin, short black hair, and a brilliant smile. His eyes shone with intelligence and wit, and now he reclined in his padded office chair.

"Well now, let's see..." He murmured softly, sending shivers down Amy's spine. Her own webcam was off; it was rare that she ever went on.

"You know you want to...Kouutaaaa." She said softly, drawing out his name teasingly.

Another smile crossed the boy's face, and he straightened up, leaning back toward the monitor.

"Of course I do, Princess." He said. "We will have to see how my work treats me. I may be able to arrange a small vacation."

Amy licked her lips, squeezing her legs together. She giggled softly, humming her approval.

"Good, I can't wait."

"What would be on the agenda for the time I was down there, hmm?" His smooth voice resonated in her ear.

Amy snuggled deeper into the warm chair, shrugging.

"Oh, I don't know...this and that, maybe." She answered coyly.

A grin replaced the smile this time, indicating his approval of her tone.

"I'll ask tomorrow about maybe taking a few days off, or so." He said.

Amy smiled, an idea forming in her head. A few swift keystrokes, and her webcam came to life. A small box showing what her webcam was seeing appeared in the bottom right, and she smiled devilishly as Kouta's eyes widened marginally. It was rare to catch him off guard.

"Keep this in mind when you're asking." She purred, leaning forward. She was wearing a pair of black panties, constrasted by the white button-up shirt she had thrown on after work. She had on only a black bra under the shirt, and she slowly undid the one button holding the front of her shirt closed. It opened slowly, revealing her generous cleavage, breasts concealed only by the lacy bra. Her long brown hair was out of her customary twin pony-tails, hanging down her back. She smiled, winked at him, then blew him a kiss before shutting off her webcam. She settled back into her chair, quite pleased with herself. Every once in a while, she would tease him, something to keep him interested.

"You're a terrible tease, Amy." Came Kouta's voice in her ear. She snickered, considering the wide array of comments available to her.

"I wouldn't be teasing you if you came down here, you know." She replied.

Kouta laughed quietly. "Yeah, well...It is what it is, I suppose." He said. "Hey, don't you work tomorrow?"

Amy shrugged. "Yeah, why?"

"It's one in the morning. These late nights don't bother you?" He asked.

Amy fought a yawn, but failed.

"Five or six hours of sleep usually does it for me." She said. "I'm usually so hyper at work anyway, that I'm afraid to see what a full eight hours of sleep would do to me."

"Ahh, you're crazy woman."

Amy shook her head. "No, I just love the night." She replied. "I can be awake alllll night long...you know?" She asked, giggling.

Kouta groaned in her ear. "You're such a damn tease. Go to bed." He said.

Amy looked at the clock on her computer, then conceded.

"Fine." She said. "Talk to you tomorrow night?"

"Of course." He replied, smiling at her. She smiled in return, despite the fact he could not see it.

"Okay, have a good one." She said. He waved, before disappearing from her screen as he logged out.

She sighed, then removed her wireless headset, before tossing it to the floor. She picked up her wireless keyboard, and got up, setting it on the desk next to her mouse. Yawning once more, she shut off her monitors, but left her computers running. They would eventually go into sleep mode.

She shuffled toward the bedroom, her mind on Kouta. He had been a friend of hers online for nearly four years now, and it was hard to imagine life without him. He was cool, sophisticated at times, funny, always willing to listen.

She smiled, and climbed into bed, pulling the covers over her body and relaxing into the cool sheets and pillows. After a few moments, she groaned. She reached out, flailing her hand around on her bed-side table, until she encountered her phone. She unplugged it from the charger, then pulled it under the blankets. She pressed the unlock button on the side, and the screen illuminated instantly.

"Menu. Tools. Alarm clock." She said, the phone reacting to her voice. It opened up the main menu, opened the tools folder, then opened the alarm clock.

"Set: six A.M." She said. The phone beeped to confirm that an alarm was set for six A.M. She was about to close her eyes, when the phone vibrated in her hand. She blinked, then looked. She had a text from Kouta.

_"Have a good night, Princess."_

Clutching her phone tight, she closed her eyes and felt herself slipping into the numbing realm of dreamscape.

A/N: A few more characters are introduced in this chapter, still setting things up. Amy's age wasn't explicitly stated in this chapter, but she is seventeen. Kouta is eighteen. Hope this chapter was interesting, more plot development to come in the following chapters. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

The Path Of Fate, Chapter 3.

Amy sighed as she cracked the top of her Red Bull with a satisfying _pssht!_, the cold liquid spraying up in a mist onto her hand. Raising it to her lips, she pulled open the door to AdvanTech Systems, a leading software design company that catered to the needs of nearly everything that needed software. Their main clients were other companies that needed organizational software, construction companies that required operating systems for automated equipment, operating systems and diagnostics work for cybots, and they manufactured a limited amount of hardware to compliment their software designs for special applications.

Taking a cold sip, the taste flooded through her mouth, earning an appreciative hum. Her eyes flicked to the elevator, but the display above it said it was on the third floor. In a good mood, and not wanting to wait, she aimed for the stairs. Her office was on the fourth floor of the fourteen story building, and she waved to the receptionist as she walked past.

"Good morning, Kylie!" Amy said, hefting her can in greeting. The blonde-haired girl smiled at her, then waved her over.

"Ahh, Amy, I have a few things for you here, actually." She said. "Came in this morning."

Amy stopped, and reversed direction, heading to the front desk. "What's up?" She asked, curiously. It was rare to get paper mail; electronic mail had been around since before she was born.

"One or two envelopes from the government," Kylie said in that, 'Youre in trouble' tone. "And one is from some random address." She said. "A Mr. Kouta N." She looked up at Amy as she handed them to her, grinning cheekily. "A man you know?"

Amy gave a lop-sided grin, brushing her bangs out of her eyes as she took the envelopes.

"In a way, yes."

"Aww, snail mail! That's so cute!"

Amy shrugged. "Old-fashioned, more like it." She replied, eyes on the off-white envelope and fluid, well-penned characters.

"Oh, and...I believe Sei has left me a message saying you need to see her on your lunch break."

"Oh...okay. Where? Her office, I presume?"

"Yep. Better get going though, today feels like a busy day." Kylie said, arranging some more mail on her desk and straightening stacks of papers. "I'll text you or E-mail you if anything comes up, or if I get bored." Once more, a grin on Kylie's sharp features. Her brown eyes seemed full of mischief.

Amy laughed. "With your job, my phone will be vibrating before I reach the stairs."

Kylie gave her a look of indignation. "Hey, mornings happen to be the busiest time of day, thank you very much! I have a hectic schedule of looking busy as the fellow employees shuffle in, as well as creatively organizing my desk into planned chaos, so at any given time of the day, it looks as if I'm actually doing work!"

Amy rolled her eyes, stepping away from the desk. "Okay, I'm off to go do some work that benefits the company. You just sit pretty, baby!"

"It's what I'm paid for!" Kylie quipped back.

Grinning, Amy attacked the stairs, careful not to spill her drink. She absent-mindedly wondered what was in that envelope.

Minutes later, she pushed open the door to the fourth floor, and hung a left. A few steps later, and she came to her office on the right. Inserting her key-card into the door, it beeped twice before the sound of the lock disengaging was heard. She pushed open the door, and the motion sensor was activated, turning on the lights.

Moving to her desk, she set everything down on the immaculate surface. A quick slap at her mouse woke up her computer, and the black flat-paneled monitor flickered to life. The company logo showed up as the background, and she once more took in the rather plain design that hinted at a deeper meaning. The banner was a stick of RAM, something common, found in nearly everything computer-related, and across it was the company name. At first, it seemed bland and uncreative, but a perceptive individual would realize that was the company's way of saying that they had their hand in nearly every single aspect of computers, and nearly every company running a computer software program had dealt with AdvanTech Systems. The ironic part of the logo was, in Amy's mind, that AdvanTech Systems dealt mainly in software, and hardware like RAM was only a small part of their company. Although, as Sei had put it, good luck to anyone who wanted to draw something intangible like software coding and affix their company name to it. Something as common as RAM was a product everyone could relate to, and that meant good business advertising.

Her computer immediately signed itself into the company database, which recorded computer activity, as well as the company's E-mail. There were 15 new E-mails waiting in her inbox for her reply, and by the end of the day, that number would have risen and fallen multiple times. At the same time, her computer signed her into the instant messaging system that allowed anyone in the company who was also signed in to message her, if needed. Immediately, Kylie sent her a smiley face.

Ignoring it for now, Amy sat at her chair. Quickly, she removed her white hoodie, and dropped it onto the floor beside her. As she glanced down at it to make sure it was out of the way of her chair's normal path of travel, she caught a glance of the stenciling. She could see part of the 'SX' that made up the '240SX' graphic on the front of her sweater. It was an old gift, from none other than Kouta himself, about a year or two ago. He had sent it to her, with a quirky explanation in a hand written note. He had said something about it being his favourite car, and that since it was such an odd thing for the techie girl to own, she would be sure to think of him every time she saw it or put it on.

It worked. She never failed to think of him when she slid into the comfortable white sweater. An unfortunate side-effect of the sweater though was apparent the first day she had worn it out. She had been stopped a few times by enthusiastic males asking if she owned one, and if she could show it to them. She had to admit that it was a gift, and that she had no idea what a 240 even looked like. Every time she was confronted, she had, with a blush, said it was a gift from her boyfriend. It was kinda true, she thought absent-mindedly. Although she wasn't sure if she should be offended or not that the sweater was getting more attention from males than she was.

She put those thoughts aside as her attention was drawn back to her workspace by an insistent beep. Kylie had messaged her again.

_So what was in the envelope? =3_

Amy sighed, and took another drink of her Red Bull. She pulled her chair closer to her desk, and rested her wrists on the edge of her keyboard.

_I haven't opened it yet, actually._ She replied. _But, as long as we are using the company messaging system for mindless gossip, how's your sex life?_

There was a long pause, and Amy smiled to herself as she opened up her E-mail inbox. She scanned through the list of E-mails, then decided to start at the top and work her way down. The first E-mail she opened was from a client in Osaka. They had been discussing plans to design an operating system that would guide a front-end loader through the motions of scooping up a bucket of gravel from a stockpile, reversing, turning around and depositing the load into a semi-truck. Amy wasn't too familiar with the designs of construction equipment, but all of the variables were glaringly obvious, and she would have to either eliminate the variables, or write the code in such a way, that it would interact with sensory equipment that would detect the variables and make a decision based on that data. Today, the client had mailed her a detailed schematic of the design and demensions of the machine she had to automate, as well as an electrical diagram so she would know how to place the computer containing the operating system, as well as plan on how it would interact with the motor that controlled the hydraulic functions.

As she opened up notepad, she began to create a list of all the variables they had to either remove, or account for. She would then send the list to the client so he would have an idea of what they were trying to control and account for, and he could add or remove as he saw fit. While he did that, she would work on the basics of the programming.

Another sip from her can of Red Bull, and she began her work.

At the top floor of the prominent building, there was a single large, ornate office, and a private bathroom. Inside the office sat a very important woman, currently with a blank look on her face as she surveyed her employees' behaviour over the chat system. Currently, her top tech girl Amy was exchanging rather private information with their receptionist, and while she felt bad about spying, she knew that getting the most productivity out of her workers was most important.

Or rather...She threw away the E-mail she had been composing, and closed the chat system that allowed her to watch what everyone in the building was saying. Those were the views she _should_ have held, as owner of this entire company. She had built everything with her own two hands, with only a business degree, and a strong sense of entrepreneurship. She knew next to nothing about coding and software, but the she did know one thing. Operating systems and coding was in high demand in todays technological society, and if she wanted to make money, this was where it was at. So, she had found people who knew how to work, gave them a place to work, and their business had taken off. She had gotten nothing but stellar results from Amy, and the receptionist was not lacking in anything she was aware of, so it was best to let them be. Amy knew their conversations were monitored...she had designed the system. Whether she cared or not, was another story. Sei was sure it wasn't out of insolence. Keeping your nose to the grindstone for too long resulted in burnouts, and Sei was determined that wouldn't happen to Amy. She was too bright, too skilled. So as long as she kept performing and delivering results, she could chat away as long as she wanted.

Turning her attention to other matters, she opened the top drawer to her heavy oak desk, and pulled out a manilla folder. She set it on her desk, and opened it. The first page was a brief overview of the progress made since the last report, and detailed upcoming goals and the steps being taken to reach them. Progress was a bit further behind that she would have liked, she thought, as she flipped through the pages. Yet it was understandable, given what they were dealing with.

Another few pages, and she sighed. She pulled out a black fountain pen with a tip of 14K gold, the shaft inset with an interesting design. If you looked closely, you could see a rabbit with intensely detailed fangs, tearing apart a dead wolf. It was inked in red, and served a constant reminder to underestimate no one, no matter how harmless they looked.

She signed off on the current work order, then reviewed the list of suggested funds, materials requested, and time allotted for certain tasks. A thorough read suggested that they wanted to slow down even further, citing this as a critical step that should be taken care of with utmost caution.

She signed, and closed the manilla folder. Kamui should be along some time this afternoon to pick it up. Placing the folder back into her drawer, she stood and smoothed out her dress. It was black, hugging her voluptuous figure. It was a traditional chinese design, with white edging and dark red clasps. It was open in the front, a mild V that plunged toward her cleavage in a tasteful manner. Her raven hair was pinned back in her trademark bun, a few strands of hair left down to reduce severity and increase flair. It gave her a softer look; she didn't want to come across as too strict.

Returning her gaze to the well-polished, dark wooded desk, she focused her attention on the next task at hand. Pulling the paper toward her, she reached for her cell phone. A sigh escaped her as she dialed. If things like this kept coming up, today was going to be a stressful day.

Meg shut off the hot water, and stepped out of the shower. Immediately, her dripping body was assaulted by the chilly air, and she hurriedly grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her body. She grabbed another one for her hair, and cranked open the bathroom door. She was eager to get somewhere with carpet; the cold tile floor was too much.

Running into her bedroom, she quickly threw the door shut behind her as she moved toward her bed. Letting the towel around her body drop to the bed, she reached up and towelled off her hair, scrubbing it thoroughly. She flipped her head forward, then swiftly backward, her hair falling perfectly down her back. She ran her fingers through it, and deemed it damp enough to attack with the blow-dryer later. She quickly ran the towel across her body, drying herself as quickly as she could. Today was her day off from both school AND work, and she would be damned if she wasted it at home. She had no idea what she wanted to do yet, but she wasn't going to laze around the house doing nothing. She had a long list of chores to be done, and necessities to buy, and today was as good a day as any to squander her meager funds on all the important things.

_Payday is tomorrow, at least._ She thought blandly. Rent needed to come out of that, as well as utilities...She shouldn't spend too much today, she couldn't afford to be short on rent two months in a row.

Meg walked over to her 5-disc CD changer, a gift from Kyohei, and turned it on. Immediately, it began rotating the tray holding the discs, until disc 1 was selected. She grabbed the remote from beside the player, and pressed the play button. A few seconds later, an angry drum pattern filled the air, and she turned up the volume slightly as her guilty pleasure began assaulting her ears.

Dancing naked across her room, she stopped at the closet and pulled open the door. It was a small closet, but then, she couldn't afford many clothes, so it worked out just fine. She stared into her closet, deep in thought, then shrugged. It wasn't like she had many options. She pulled a pair of slightly ripped blue jeans from a hanger, and followed that with a non-brand name shirt. Green in color, it was a bit unusual, but Meg didn't mind. It had made her laugh when she saw it, so she had to buy it. The graphic on the front showed an oreo cookie with a terrified look being dipped into a glass of milk, with the caption, _Merciful people drown their victims before biting their heads off_.

It was downright ridiculous, and Meg loved it. She threw the two articles of clothing onto her bed, and headed for her dresser. She opened the top drawer, and reached in, pulling out a matching pair of bra and panties, pink in color. She tossed them wildly over her shoulder, then spun around to see where they landed. She was dismayed to find that they didn't even come close to landing on the bed.

Undeterred, she got dressed, singing loudly to herself. No, she had no idea what she was going to do today, but damn it was going to be fun.

Johan cast her gaze to the burning sun, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. She didn't like the way this day was turning out, not at all. When they had awoke, something was amiss. There were no birds in the air, singing the song of undisturbed peace. There was a heavy feeling in the air; she wasn't the only one feeling it. Her gaze slid to and from each of her troop members, and they met her gaze with a somber look. They could feel it too. Someone or something was watching them, probably following them. They had departed as soon as they had awoke, the guard rousing them early as the feeling of uncertainty turned to discomfort. Everyone was ill at ease, and no matter how many paces they put between themselves and their camping grounds, it did not dissipate.

She had to wonder if they were just imagining it all. The guard that had awoken them had been skittish; this wasn't uncommon in troops left up all night, tired, seeing and hearing things in the dark, as witching hour came and left. Sometimes, expecting something to happen and having nothing happen at all was the worst drain on your mental faculties. The darkness played many tricks, especially when you were expecting to see an enemy wielding a lethal weapon come lurking out of the darkness any second, silent as a spectre.

Either way, they were all on high-alert. Even at mid-day, traversing this hilly terrain laced with foilage, it would be hard to detect an enemy until they were almost upon them, hidden from view by the ups and downs of the land, and muted by the sounds of their own foot-falls over rocks and twigs.

Johan led her horse carefully, dismounted and leading it with a firm grasp on it's mane. She didn't want her prized mount to fall prey to a misstep, injuring it and rendering it a useless hindrance.

"Everyone keep your guard up." She reminded. "Rotate follow-up."

The word was passed down the line, until the person bringing up the rear was swapped out for someone fresh. They had to be most alert to stealthy kill attempts and followers. Johan rotated that duty frequently to maximize attentiveness.

After a while, the trail leveled out, leaving the rocky, hilly terrain behind them. The trees thinned, foilage reduced to shrubbery and foot high weeds and plants. They had a much better view of the land surrounding them, and as they continued to travel, the feeling of being followed slowly wore off. In the end, Johan wasn't sure they were ever being followed to begin with.

They were on their way to a northern village that Johan knew about. It was a few days worth of travel, but there they would find a ripe full village. They could do as they pleased with it, and Johan had big plans. She wanted to stage a hostile takeover. She would surround it, and cut off any supplies coming in over a period of several moons. After about a fortnight, their supplies would be strained. Then, they would offer to negotiate with the starving occupants of the village. Her own soldiers would be divided into multiple tasks. At any given time, they would be patrolling the perimeter, always out of sight, looking for anyone trying to sneak in or out of the village. They would be procuring food from the surrounding forest to support their seige, as well as capturing any supply runs to the village. During the night, her soldiers would constantly barrage the village and its walls with noise, threat of fire, anything to keep the villagers off-balance, and sleepless. They would crack before long.

Once Johan had this northern village secured, she would set her men up in it. She would construct guard towers, erect better defenses, and make it a main base. As a rule, no one from the village must survive. No one could escape, to send for help. To the rest of the world, they would have no idea that this village was home to her band of soldiers intent on taking course...she would need to expand her army. The troops she had now were strong and reliable, but such small numbers would be disadvantageous against larger forces.

She wondered if she should enslave anyone who desired their life more than their freedom, or demand that they fight for her, or die a terrible death. She would know when she got there, she decided, if there were any warriors worthy of fighting for her. If they were all weak, then they would be killed or enslaved.

A savage smile spread across her face, and her dark red eyes narrowed as she climbed upon her horse. She patted the neck of her horse affectionately, as she slowed their pace. They would get ready to set up camp and prepare to catch food soon. Another few days of travel would bring them to the place she desired, and once she was there, nothing would stop her from an absolute and bloody takeover.

A/N: Kamui- The Ainu word for a spiritual or divine being in Ainu mythology. Well, another character introduced, and a small bit of plot development. Sorry this took so long. I look forward to your reviews, and I thank everyone for their reviews so far. More chapters soon to come.


	4. Chapter 4

The Path Of Fate, Chapter Four.

Sei was about to leave her office, when there was a knock on her door. She checked the time on her sleek black touch phone, then walked lithely to the door. She opened it, and a tall man stood in front of her. He smiled at her when she met his gaze, and she extended her hand. He shook her hand with a firm grasp, as she motioned for him to come in.

"Kamui, I have the folder you have come for." She said, stepping back as he stepped into her office. She made to shut the door, but he held up a hand.

"We will not be here long." He answered her questioning gaze, his voice deep, with a slight rough edge to it.

"We won't?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No, I must ask that you come with us to the lab."

"Is there some sort of emergency?" She asked.

Kamui shook his head. "No, but we would like our sponsor to be in attendance for this." He replied. His sharp obsidian eyes smiled at her in polite request.

Sei nodded. "I would love to come down and take a look through the lab." She said. "Let me grab the folder."

She strode to her desk, and retrieved it swiftly. The only thing they could want her present for was the launch, and the contents of this folder suggested that they were far behind this point. Sei wasn't sure what was going on, but it wasn't her place to pry. As a sponsor, she concerned herself with funding the project which promised results. How or when they got those results was of little importance to her, as long as they paid out.

She stopped at her desktop, and brought up the chat system. She quickly typed in Amy's name, and brought up her chat window. Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she typed her message.

_Meeting at lunch postponed. Something came up. -Sei._

She pressed enter, then shut off her monitor. She straightened up, then walked toward the door.

"Shall we?" She asked.

He nodded, and stepped outside. Sei followed, shutting her door behind her and locking it securely.

They entered the elevator, and Sei pressed the ground floor button. A second later, the doors slid closed, and the elevator began to move smoothly downward.

When they reached the ground floor, Sei moved toward Kylie's desk.

"I'll be out for a while, hold my calls. Anything important, you know my cell."

"You got it, Sei!" Kylie said. "See you soon."

Sei nodded, and Kamui followed her out the front door.

"We should take separate vehicles." He suggested. "I have no further business on this side of town."

Sei smiled at him as she waved. "Okay, I will meet you there, then." She said. She turned and walked down the sidewalk, heading for the adjacent company carpark. She walked through the gate, waving at the guard, and he smiled back at her.

"How are you today?" He asked.

"Good, yourself?"

"No complaints!"

Sei smiled. "I'm glad to hear it!" She replied. She turned and walked toward the executive parking lot. Her car had the best reserved parking spot, close to the entrance. She walked to the drivers' side, and reached for the keypad on the door. Quickly pressing in her code, the door unlocked. She opened the door, and cast her gaze to the sun high in the sky before sliding into the drivers seat. Turning the key that was left in the ignition, the car immediately purred to life. Slipping it into gear, she reversed out of her parking stall. She could barely see through the small glass window behind her seat, but her sleek mirrors showed her everything she needed to see.

Hand gripping the soft leather shift knob, she put it in first and idled out of the parking lot. She waved once more at the guard at the front gate, before revving her powerful engine. As she let out the clutch, she gave the car some throttle, wheels spinning on the sandy pavement. The wide wheels eventually caught traction, and she pulled out into traffic. She accelerated hard, smoothly shifting through the gears. She knew where the lab was, and she was in a hurry. She wanted to get back to her office, she had a lot of work to do.

...

Meg looked up from her plate of chocolate chip cookies as she heard a knock on the door. She stood, absentmindedly wondering who it was. It was nearing one in the afternoon, and she was about to go out.

She opened the door, and was greeted by the smiling face of Leo, the apartment building manager and handyman.

"Oh, hey Leo!" She greeted the bearded man happily. "What can I do for you?"

"Hey, Meg." He replied. "I just came to stop by and ask when would be a good time for me to take a look at that leaking drain pipe you told me about yesterday." He said.

Meg stood back, opening the door wide. "Come on in, I'll show you where it's at." She said.

He nodded, and kicked off his workboots, leaving them in the hallway. He stepped into her apartment on clean white socks, looking around.

"Hope I'm not interrupting any plans." He said, following her into the kitchen.

"Not really, no. I was going to take off in a few minutes, you are welcome to come and go as you please." She said. "You're busy, and you don't need to rearrange your maintenance schedule around me."

Leo grunted as he knelt down, opening the sink's cabinet doors.

"Well, if you don't mind." He said. "I have the next hour free, finally, and I would like to get this knocked out before it becomes worse. You're such a good tenant too, I'd feel bad if I had to put this off."

Meg smiled, and patted his shoulder.

"Well, I'll leave you to it then, if you don't mind." She said. "Help yourself to anything in the fridge if you like, I don't mind."

He thanked her, before leaning in to assess the situation.

Meg left him there, heading for the door.

"See ya." She said, before shutting her door behind her. She walked down the hallway toward the stairs, taking them two at a time as she descended.

When the reached the main floor, she exited the building. She looked toward Kyohei's parking spot to see if his car was there, but it wasn't. He must be out somewhere.

She stepped onto the sidewalk, and looked up at the bright sun gleaming high in the sky. It was a nice day out, and those were getting rare as the colder weather slowly moved in. Before anyone was ready, snow would be falling. It was something she looked forward to just as much as loathed. She had mixed feelings about the winter. It made travelling cold, especially without a car, and she missed the sun. On the other hand, it was fun to snuggle up under a blanket with hot chocolate and watch the sky darken with snowfall.

For now though, she thought, she would enjoy every ounce of sun she could get.

...

"Afternoon, Sei." Project Manager Tomodai Higurashi greeted her, handing her a new folder whilst accepting the one in her hand.

"Tomo," She responded. "How are things going?"

"Very well. We are nearly ready for stage two of the project."

Sei's eyes widened slightly, but she controlled her reaction. "You realize that the updates in the folders you have been presenting me with indicate you are much further behind than this. Also, you indicated that you wished to slow even further, for preparations' sake."

Tomo nodded, indicating for her to walk with him. They began moving down the illuminated hallways.

"Well yes, but you know as well as I do that this was to be expected. You and your company, that is, the one you run as a cover-op to hide and fund this project, you have technology nearly a full year ahead of today's pieces, but why isn't it out there?" He asked. It was clear it was a rhetorical question. "Because people are still buying what is out there now. Why cut the flow of money short? Wait until sales are starting to decline, then push out the latest piece of technology to give the income another kickstart. That is how business works. And when you are a leader with few competitors, it isn't a race to push out the latest and greatest toy in a bid to steal customers from other companies. No, you control the market, why flood it with technology when you can release it instead as a slow trickle, resulting in steady profits?"

Sei nodded. "It is indeed as you say."

"We need only your christening on the vessel, and launch command before stage two is in full swing."

"Has there been any recommended names?"

"A few, but this is something you should choose."

They stopped at wide double doors at the end of the hallway. Tomodai slid his keycard through the reader and they unlocked with a double click. He pushed his way in, followed by Sei.

They were in the hangar, standing on a catwalk that encircled the entire bay. In the middle of the bay was a massive black ship, resting on three needle-thin probe-like legs. The entire ship was very light-weight for its size, although that was a byproduct of design and an afterthought, not the main focus. It could be as heavy or light as it wanted, weight mattered not where it was going.

"So explain the concept to me again."

Tomodai pushed a pair of lenses up on his nose, and took a clipboard from a passing worker, looking it over.

"It is very simple, really." He said. "We aren't going _back_ in time. Whether that is even possible with the most advanced technology in the world is unknown, and considered unrealistic and highly improbable, if not downright impossible by most theorists. We are going some_where_, not some_time._"

Sei nodded, listening intently.

"If the notion that time is like a river, flowing fast and swift in one direction is to be accepted, then we do not currently possess the technology to fight that current, to go backward in time. So if we cannot go upstream, then can we perhaps cross the stream? That is the question."

He paused for a moment to let the information process.

"Tests show that it is indeed possible to cross the stream. What we have found on the other side is truly remarkable."

"So," Sei interrupted, holding up a hand. "Getting away from metaphors for a second, what is actually physically happening if time travel is to be considered impossible by conventional understanding of the term?"

"Yes, well, like I said. We cannot go back in time. What has happened, has happened. However, we can go to a different time. We cross the metaphorical river, to find another, identical river right beside it. If we were to go into the water, we would be in the current time. Because time travel is impossible, follow me?" He asked. Not waiting for an answer, he continued. "It is interesting to note that while we will be entering another time period that has technically happened in the _past_, it is for all intents and purposes, the present."

"That...can you not give me a visual representation of what you mean? It is all very confusing."

"I figured it would be, so follow me." He said. He lead her to his office, which he unlocked and opened. "I have laid out a visual diagram representing everything I am saying."

He pointed at the diagram, nodding to himself. "It is all very simple. Here, you see two streets, laid out side by side, running north-south." He said. He looked at Sei, and she nodded her understanding. "Imagine a line bisecting the two roads east-west. This represents where we are. We are on this road, the road on the left. Beside us is a road, on the right. We exist _only_ on this road. If we go north, we move into the future. If we look south, we look into the past. Time is uni-directional. We cannot go south on this road. We cannot move into the past. At present, we are on this road, moving north at the speed of time. However, if we cross over to _another _road, their present might coincidentally be part of our past." He pointed to the road on the right. "We have moved neither north-into the future-, nor south-into the past-, so we did not travel back in time. We have merely crossed our road, onto another. We are still in the same present; no time travel has occurred. Yet in this alternate world we have travelled into, we have ended up in their present. If we find the right road to cross, we can end up in a world where their present just so happens to be our past."

Sei nodded her understanding. "Okay, I understand." She said. "So by this theory, any changes made in the other...world? Universe?" She didn't know how to describe it.

"For lack of a better word, call it a time-line."

"Okay, any changes made in the time-line we visit cannot affect our present here, because it isn't even the same time-line, it is completely different. Unrelated."

Tomo hesitated for a second, then made a non-committal noise. "It should not affect us, but to be on the safe side, no alterations will be made."

Sei nodded. "And you are just going to launch this ship into another time-line? How will you? How do you find a time-line? What is it? What does it look like?"

"Are you familiar with the theory of space-time?"

Sei shook her head. "No, not really."

"Well, I won't go into detail, but suffice to say, that space-time isn't really a theory anymore. It isn't a direct correlation to time-lines, but has some part in it. Also, things like galaxies, planets, stars, they all have mass. Black holes, sucking in even light, all of these things carry the relation to mass, bending the fabric of space-time, warping and tearing it, and although it would take hours to describe how each of these things relate to each other and to the topic at hand, consider them ingredients. They are the ingredients and tools used to locate and determine a time-line, and if you possessed a higher knowledge of physics, you would understand the basics of how these things can and have been used successfully to detect time-lines."

"So if it is something like that, then it can all be determined by a computer then, correct?"

"Correct. To the casual listener, talk of time-travel seems magical, unrealistic, and unscientific. However, with a bit of knowledge and understanding, it is easy to take away the magical element to this supposed 'time-travel.' Much like a child who doesn't understand how airplanes stay up, or the operating principal behind magnets. Until it is explained, it seems complicated, but it can all be broken down in basic fact. The computers will handle nearly everything. It is all relatively straight-forward, from here."

"So is this a virgin mission, or has there been test-probes sent out before?"

"Probes have been sent out before, three missions in total. Only one of those probes managed to come back. Communication seems impossible, something we weren't sure of, so it turns out everything has to be automated. It cannot recieve commands or relay data. Before it leaves, every action it takes must be pre-determined. We believe we have a grasp on it now, and this will be the first mission of its kind for a ship of this size. The last probes were smaller than a coffee can, and relatively inexpensive. With the data we have gathered, we feel comfortable sending this probe out."

"How long until launch?"

"Well, we can activate the launch procedure, but it isn't like shooting a shuttle into space. It can take the computer anywhere from a split second to many minutes to find conditions to fit the parameters it has established for the task assigned to it. There are many variables."

"So then what are we waiting for?" Sei asked.

Tomo smiled, and passed her a small box. "For the command." He replied.

Sei took the box, looking down at the few small switches and buttons.

"What should I call it?" She asked. Tomo grinned widely, a rare expression on the usually stoic learned physicist.

"Anything but Explorer I." He replied jokingly.

"So what do I do?" She asked. "Walk me through the steps, here."

He moved over to stand beside her, pointing at the various switches.

"You will flip the first switch to power on the ship. While it is booting and running system diagnostics, you will press this button. This activates the comms. You will announce the launching of the ship, and when this light here illuminates, signalling the ship is ready, press this button to start the launch sequence."

Sei nodded, and flipped the first switch. From outside the office, they could hear a low-pitched hum that steadily grew in pitch. It leveled off a few seconds later before fading away.

"Now announce the ships launch!" Tomo said.

Sei licked her lips, then depressed the small button. It lit up as it was pressed.

"Sei here. Alerting all crew, test craft prototype four, now designated 'Horizon', ready to launch."

She couldn't think of anything else, so she had used the projects codename.

She released the button, staring at the controller. A few seconds later, and a small green light illuminated at the base of the controller. She opened the office door, and looked out, surveying the ship one last time. It sat, silent, fearsome, ready to go. She pressed the launch button and only a small beep from the controller told her the ship had received the command.

"The ship will now begin to look for the appropriate conditions to fill its parameters." He said. We preloaded the ship with everything it needed to know, including its mission, and what to do in an emergency."

Sei nodded, watching the ship intently. She was curious as to how it would look when it took off. Or did whatever it was that it was programmed to do.

"Watch it carefully." Tomo said, sensing her thoughts.

Nearly a full minute went by, and just when Sei was sure nothing was going to happen, the ship disappeared. It was instant, and silent. One second there, the next, gone, like it had never existed. And everything had happened so silently. The silence was still ringing in her ears as she stared at the spot where the massive ship had just been. The quiet was unnerving.

A few seconds passed by as neither said anything, then Tomo straightened up.

"Excellent. Launch successful."

"What do we do now?" Sei asked.

"We wait."

"If we are unable to communicate with the ship, how do we know when it will return?"

Tomo straightened his lenses, and cleared his throat as he sat down at his desk.

"Technically, we know already the three conditions of the ships return. It will return if there is an emergency, the mission was a success, or if the mission time limit has been exceeded." He said.

"That doesn't give us an exact return time though." Sei said. "Is there any way to calculate that?"

"Without direct communication to the ship, no." He said. "However, there is an interesting phenomenon that precedes the impending arrival of probes." He said. "Have you ever placed a cell phone near cheap computer speakers?" He asked. "When a text is incoming, the speakers will produce an odd beeping or clicking sound, usually in a very specific pattern."

"Yes, isn't that interference?" Sei asked. "Nothing phenomenal about that."

"Exactly. Yet the occurence is strikingly similar with probes." He said. "After the return of the one probe out of three launched, we noticed that our monitors went crazy right before the canister arrived. It was too widespread to be an uncanny coincidence, so more tests were performed. We sent out probes with the sole objective of returning as quickly as they were launched. Every single time, monitors went crazy." He said. "We isolated the contributing factor, and magnified its effect. We rigged it to an auditory signal, so now, when the probe is on its way home, an alarm will sound throughout the building." He said.

Sei nodded. "I see." She said. "Well, what was the mission objective of this probe?"

Tomo smiled. "To bring back samples of whatever terrain it encounters." He said. "We want to see what kinds of terrain it encounters, and more specifically, we want to make sure it goes where we wanted to send it. Once the technology develops, this could be useful for collecting data from even more distant periods of time, reaffirming or disproving theories made on substantial evidence."

"So those thin needle legs...?"

"Hollow, designed to pick up water, rock, sand, silt, mud, dust, dirt, clay, any damn thing it can." He said. "It even has an underbelly compartment for picking up materials up to four hundred pounds."

"Do you think it will be used?"

"On this particular mission? Probably not. But that is how we designed it, so we will have to just wait and see."

They continued talking, discussing many things, as the minutes ticked by on the clock. Neither expected the ship to return for quite some time, so what happened next was surprising to both of them.

...

Johan bared her teeth as the wide plains of frozen wilderness stretched out in front of her. It was at least two days travel across these plains before she reached her destination. Maybe more. It was dependant on how fast her men could travel.

She cast her gaze to her men, then spurred her horse. They would set a brisk pace. She did not want to put off seige any longer than she had to.

Long hair whipping in her face, she set her gaze upon the distant treeline. The plains were flat, and played tricks on the eyes. Littered with only the occasional jutting rock, covered in a few inches of white snow, it was impossible to gauge distance. It certainly looked like the far treeline was only an hours' march away, but more than a day would be spent in travel, and at the end of it, they would appear no closer. Only the second day of the journey would yield visual results.

The biting wind cut through her light clothing and armor, but she barely noticed it as it whistled across her bare skin. It was a state of mind, and right now, she was strong. It would get much colder before their destination would be reached, but if she continued eating and remained in good health, she would be more than able to handle it.

"Keep an eye out for hares." She called back. "Meat is going to be our best friend in this environment. Archers, stay sharp." She was greeted with the sound of stone-tipped, wooden arrows being drawn from quivers, tapping lightly against the light-weight yet sturdy bow frames.

A sharp blast of wind ruffled her hair wildly, obscuring her vision for the briefest of moments. She slowed her horse, then twisted around to get at one of her leather sacks tied to her horses rump. Untying the leather strap, she opened it up. Reaching inside, she withdrew one of her few precious possessions. It was a blood red scarf, made of the finest fabric that could be found. It was carefully dyed with Rose Madder, gotten from faraway warmer lands, since all they could grow here was lichens and henna, and those dyes would not suffice. It was rich and deep in color, requiring hours upon hours of careful dying. Many messups and discarded attempts resulted in the evenly dyed scarf she now held in her hands. It was tattered at the ends, ragged holes torn through it along its length, but it was still good.

She secured her leather sack, then turned to face forward again. The scarf in her hands, she raised it to her throat and carefully wound it around her neck. She pulled her long hair out, then doubled and tripled up on the folds, until the ends trailed about two feet down her back. She carefully pulled out the scarf around her throat, and made room to bury her nose in. She lowered her head, and nuzzled into the soft fabric, inhaling deeply. She closed her eyes, as warmth flooded through her. The gentle up-and-down of her horse threatened to lull her to sleep, so she opened her eyes and stared off into the distance. After a few moments of contemplation, she raised her left hand, and signalled her second to come to her.

She heard a soldier breaking ranks, jogging up to meet her steadily plodding horse.

"Yes, Johan?"

"Bring me a flask of ale, Gullvieg." She commanded. He nodded, before returning to the ranks. He found one of the soldiers carring supplies, and, without making him break rank or slow his step, undid his back pack. He retrieved the requested flask, before securing the back pack tight again. He jogged forward to Johan, and held the flask up to her. She looked down upon him for a moment, before taking it. She uncapped it, and raised it to her lips, taking a long swig. She swallowed the burning liquid easily, before handing the flask back down to him, invitingly. He accepted it, keeping one eye on her as he took a drink from it. He was grateful for the drink; he could feel the eyes of the other soldiers on him, but there was no ill will. It was widely known that Johan favoured Gullvieg, and the rest of the crew were not helpless. They had their own fair share of everything. No one was left out. That created resentment, and resentment would tear apart even the most well-oiled machine.

Gullvieg handed the flask back to her wordlessly, thanking her with a look. Johan said nothing as he returned to his ranks, but she raised the flask once more to her lips.

It was an acquired taste for sure, she knew, and she had acquired it a long time ago. She drank thirstily, yet not because she was indeed thirsty. She desired only the numbing effects, the feeling of happiness to well through her, and she wanted to take the bite out of the cold. Her troops actually had it warmer than she did, she reflected, as she wiped some alcohol off her chin. They carried more armor, more clothing, and were packed tightly together. They were physically exerting themselves, probably sweating by now and not even feeling the cold. On the other hand, she was perched high upon her mount, beaten by the cold winds, with naught but her thoughts to keep her company.

As her stomach began to take on that familiar icy feeling, she smiled. Soon the icy feeling in her stomach would turn into a warm flood that would spread to her limbs. Yet it could not come fast enough.

Another long drink, and the flask was nearing empty. Her sharp eyes wandered the barren wasteland, searching for any signs of life. Out here, she seriously doubted finding anything, but it wasn't unusual to come across the occasional band of wagons, running the supply route.

_We will have to control that once we lay seige to the village._ She thought absent-mindedly. She downed the last of the ale, and stuffed the empty flask into her sack. She would call upon a refill later, she thought. For now, she enjoyed the light-headedness, and noted with detached interest how little the cold bothered her now.

She reached forward, and patted her horse affectionately. He snorted at her, shaking his head side to side. His dark hair flung in all directions, as his pointed ears twitched. She smiled, and leaned back, turning her gaze to the sky.

Clouds were moving in. It would only get colder. She narrowed her eyes as the wind picked up, blasting her face. The short burst disappeared as quickly as it came, and she surveyed the clouds in the sky. The wind was pushing them right toward her. They were heavy and dark. With either icy rain, or snow. It would be a little over an hour before the unfortunate conditions fell upon them. She considered stopping now to set up camp.

Looking back at her troops, she decided against it. Everyone here was strong. Snow wouldn't bother them.

The sky darkened ominously, as Johan pushed doggedly on.

It wasn't ten minutes later, when a cry from her troops went up, alerting Johan to something unusual. Twisting on her mount, she looked back to see the cause of the commotion.

"What is it?" She asked. All she got were confused grunts, then a myriad of pointing fingers, aimed east.

She turned and looked toward the eastern sky, and didn't understand what she saw.

A black object was in the sky, low beneath the oppressive cloud cover. It moved silently through the air, heading toward them with unsettling sureness. It was oval in shape, looking at it head on, and had three long, thin legs. It was black, everywhere Johan looked. No other colors, just the color of swift and evil death.

Hand gripping the comfortable handle of her axe, Johan turned her horse to meet the eerily silent machine head on. Her mount whinnied in fright, before Johan yanked harshly on the reins.

Her legion of soldiers stopped, readying weapons to attack the airborne enemy head on. It was still hundreds of feet above them in the air, and off in the distance, but they could see it suddenly list sharply to the right, before plummeting swiftly to the ground. It seemed to impact the ground, snow and dirt being thrown up.

The alcohol in her system paralyzed any fear she might have had for the unknown, other-worldly device, and she gritted her teeth in anger as excitement coursed through her. Her thoughts were irrational as they always were prior to, and during, battle. The all-too-familiar feeling of bloodlust and excitement for battle got the best of her, and as the black orb picked itself up and began moving toward them again, only feet above the ground, Johan charged to meet it head on. She spurred her horse to top speed, readying her axe in her grip.

Her soldiers immediately began to follow, but quickly fell behind the racing horse. Johan paid them no mind as she charged toward what she considered an enemy. As she drew closer, she began to realize the enormous size and scope of the vessel, and wondered if she should wait for her archers to catch up.

Senses paralyzed by alcohol, she disregarded that thought. Every enemy had a weak underbelly, she thought, hefting her axe. She pushed her horse on, as she came upon the vessel. She aimed for one of the delicate looking legs, a roar escaping her throat as she swung her axe at it with all her strength.

The blunt metal tip of her axe caught the leg squarely, and Johan was almost thrown from her horse as a loud _clang!_ resounded in her ears, vibration weakening her grip on her axe.

She recovered though, pulling her mount to a stop and turning around. She thought about attacking again, but this time was confused. She couldn't seem to do any damage to the vessel. Perhaps...

Her thoughts were cut short as a loud whine was heard from above her. She looked up at the belly of the beast, and her eyes widened as she saw it splitting, widening to reaveal it's innards. She couldn't see into it though, it was shrouded in black. She raised her axe to the sky, and shouted angrily at it to fight fair, but was cut off as she saw something moving in the darkness.

She pulled back on the reins of her mount in surprise as slim pieces of metal shot out, apparently aiming for her.

"Ahh, a proper fight! Bring it on!" She exclaimed, knocking aside one of the thin pieces of metal. It had no effect though, as they came back around, aiming for her faster than she could react.

The metal arms latched onto her and picked her bodily up off her mount, ignoring her screams of rage and indignation. She was pulled forcefully into the inky blackness, all the strength in her body not enough to remove the offending devices from her body.

Her screams were cut short as the belly of the vessel began to close up again, her view of the world shrinking. It seemed she was moving away from the ground, her horse tossing its head back and forth in fear.

Johan struggled to get free, but found her shackles far too tight. The last light faded as the doors closed fully, and suddenly, she was enveloped in oppressive darkness.

Suddenly, she got the feeling she was travelling fast; way faster than she ever had before. It only lasted a split second before another loud whine permeated the air. She struggled once more against her bindings, as the belly of the vessel began to immediately open. She wasn't sure what was going on, all the opening and closing and feelings of movement, and her disorientation wasn't helping at all.

A frustrated, panicked scream burst forth from her clenched teeth, and at that, the shackles released her. She fell, gravity pulling her body down. She twisted in the air, trying to right herself as vertigo got the best of her. Before she knew what was happening, her body impacted a hard surface on her side. She felt something crack, but ignored it, breathing heavily. Her head was reeling with the events of the last few minutes, and she wasn't sure what was what. She picked herself up, grimacing with eyes shut tight, before she came to her senses. She opened her eyes, and realized she was still clutching her axe in her left hand. Her sword was still buckled to her right.

Ignoring the pain in her side, she looked around until she spotted two confused, surprised looking humans, about twenty feet away. Raising her axe above her head, a war cry burst forth from her throat as she didn't think twice about attacking.

A/N: Yay, Johan is in the present now! Sorry about the terribly long update time. I had some troubles with getting this chapter to work out the way I wanted it to. Any comments, questions, concerns, email me or leave me a review, I'll get back to you. Thank you all for your patience, and I look forward to your reviews.


	5. Chapter 5

The Path Of Fate - Chapter 5.

Ignoring the pain in her right side, Johan raised her axe above her head, and charged the two confused humans in front of her, staring at her with shock and frozen fear. The blood was pounding in her head, but it didn't bother her as she leapt over the metal barricade in her path with ease and natural grace.

Her eyes narrowed as the male dressed in white stood up, grabbing the arm of the female and pulling her into an enclosure. A second before Johan reached the metal grating they were standing on, a barricade slammed shut in front of her.

With a grunt, gritting her teeth, Johan brought her blunt blood-stained axe slamming down as hard as she could. The thin wooden door erupted in a mass of shattered splinters, flying in all directions. She tugged her axe out with brute strength flowing through her toned arms, adrenaline quickening her breathing.

She reared back, gripping the axe in both hands this time in a powerful downward swing. When she reached the maximum height she could, she whipped the axe down, throwing her back into it.

The crushing weapon decimated the door, Johan nearly falling through the splintered remains as the axe smashed through it with ease. The axe had a leather thong on the handle, and this went around a hook on her waist, as she clawed at the gap she had created in the door.

She was snarling now, ignoring the splinters that sliced through her skin, embedding themselves deeply and painfully. Her nose was scrunched up, eyes narrowed, teeth bared as she shoved her way through the door.

The two humans were standing in the corner of the room, the male standing protectively in front of the female.

She lithely stalked forward, brushing her hair out of her eyes. She swiftly drew her sword, and pointed it at them.

"Who are you?" She asked. "What have you done with me?"

Their eyes widened in confusion, and she bared her teeth threateningly.

"Answer my questions!"

Her commands were met with a strange, unintelligible language. It made her pause, confused, wondering what was going on.

Suddenly, her ears were assaulted with a loud ringing sound, and she looked around in alarm. Red flashes of light were illuminating the walls of the room and the building in a disorienting pattern. As she looked back toward the mangled door she had come in through, it was kicked through by a black boot, more splinters joining the mess on the floor.

She never gave the enemy a chance to come through the door and attack. She slashed down with her sword, the tip cutting deep into the exposed torso of the enemy. A scream met her ears, and she grinned, leaning back and kicking the wounded man back through the door. When the way was clear, she pushed her way through.

The enemy was on the ground, holding his torso and screaming in pain as blood flowed from the open wound.

She unclipped her axe, and was about to slaughter the man without a single thought, when a cry rang out. She looked up, and saw a door to her right. Someone had fled just as she had looked up, and her predatory senses kicked in. Gripping her axe tightly, she disregarded the black-clad man before taking off at a full run toward the door. She had to climb a set of stairs, and took them three at a time.

When she reached the top, the door she had seen was closed. Without breaking her momentous stride, she impacted the barrier with all of her weight, drilling her shoulder into the door.

For a split second, it didn't seem like it was going to give, as her bones jarred and crunched painfully. Her side screamed in protest, but it only lasted a second as the door offered one last protest of shrieking, groaning steel before blowing clean off it's hinges. She stumbled through the doorway, the dented door hitting the concrete floor with a bang and screeching to a stop.

She spotted someone running away far down the hall, and she took off running. Each stride she took automatically compensated for the swaying sword at her side, and the axe in her hand.

Within seconds, she had caught up to the fleeing human. It was a woman. This fact didn't register with Johan as she grabbed the woman by her black pony-tail and dragged her to a stop.

Screaming in pain and terror, the woman fell to her knees as Johan leaned over her, growling fearsomely.

"What is this place?" She asked.

The woman shook her head, and Johan pushed her aside in disgust. Deciding that the female posed no threat to her, she began walking away from her, toward the glass doors at the end of the hall.

When she reached them, a quick smash from her fist shattered them. It was the same fist she used to penetrate the wooden door, and shards of glass slashed deep into her skin, further mutilating her hand.

She stepped through the broken metal frame that used to be the door, and looked around. She was in a lobby, and there were several people staring at her in surprise, frozen in place behind desks, coming down the stairs, and even walking through the front door.

Ignoring all of them, she glimpsed sunshine through the open door, and headed for it. She could feel hot blood pouring down a gash in her right forearm. The feeling of blood wetting her skin made her more wanting for battle, but the pain was beginning to aggravate her. She would need to tend to her wounds soon, or risk losing her fighting strength in that arm.

She pushed on the glass door, and it swung open. Walking into the streets, she was pleased to find that the air temperature was much warmer than it had been twenty minutes ago. Although the surreal landscape confused her. There were no trees, no dirt, no nature of any kind. Only man-made structures, taller than she could have imagined, blocking most of her view of the horizon.

She picked a direction, and began walking, ignoring the droplets of blood spattering onto the concrete. Every step she took, she attracted stares, confused looks, and some, used to the insanity on the streets, simply ignored her.

...

Meg looked both ways before stepping off the curb onto the pavement. Today had been a not bad day, she reflected, yawning. Once she had left the apartment, she had gone to the mall with the intention of shopping. When she had arrived, she had walked around for a while, but felt guilty every time she pulled out her card with the intention of buying something. She was perpetually strapped for cash, and she found it hard to buy something impusively if she didn't really need it.

So she had walked around for a while, checked out the guys and the girls, and got checked out in return. She had found a thrifty store and bought a bottle of pop, before sitting down on one of the benches lining the middle of the mall corridor. She had sat on the bench, crossing her legs out in front of her, sipping on her pop and watching the people flowing through the mall. She viewed the guys and the girls with equal disinterest. Not that some of them weren't physically attractive by normal standards, but they just didn't...She didn't even know.

She wasn't even sure if she was attracted to men, actually. There had never been a desire there. On the other hand though, she was not attracted to women either. Sure, they were nice to look at, and she often envied some of them, but that never turned into sexual attraction.

Maybe her sex drive just wasn't that active. Which suited her just fine, she thought. One less thing to deal with. Although, nights were lonely sometimes. She wished she had someone to spend the nights with. Even the days, at least; the days she did not spend working or studying.

The financial breaks would be awesome too. She wondered if she should look for a roommate. Yet she wondered if sacrificing her privacy and freedom would be worth the financial break it would score her.

She would hold off for now, she decided. She was doing just fine on her own, and she rather liked being able to walk around naked listening to whatever kind of music she wanted.

She smiled at the thought. Another girl wouldn't be so bad. A male roommate would put her into an awkward situation, but a girl would be nice.

Eventually she had finished her drink, and left the mall. After picking up something cheap to eat, she had left. She wanted to see if Leo was finished in her apartment, and if he was, she had some stuff to do.

Now, she was crossing the road as clouds darkened the sky. Once again rain was preparing to fall as night time approached. She didn't mind the rain, but she was still twenty minutes from home and wearing clothes designed for the sun.

She looked to the sky, and the dark clouds hung low in the sky. They threatened to unleash fat drops of rain any second now, and she pulled out her cell phone as she ducked under an awning of a local coffee shop. Just in time too, as the pavement began to darken with spots of water.

She quickly dialed Kyohei's number, then raised the phone to her ear, hoping he would answer.

It only rang a few times before a clicking sounded on the other end, followed by Kyohei's voice.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Kyohei, you still out and about?" She asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, it's starting to rain and I'm wearing clothes that are not quite so protective." She answered.

He laughed. "You need a ride?" He asked.

"Yeah, if it isn't too much trouble." She asked, guilt creeping into her voice.

"No trouble. Where you at?"

"It doesn't sound like you're driving. What are you doing? I don't want to inconvenience you!"

"Walking to my car. Don't worry. Where am I getting you from?"

"Uhh..." She turned around and looked at the graphic on the glass store front window.

"The coffee shop on 41st street." She said. "It isn't too far from the mall."

"I know where it is. See you soon."

She thanked him and hung up, staring at the drops now falling steadily from the sky. After a minute of contemplation, she decided to go in. The least she could do for Kyohei was get him something. She pulled out her phone as she opened the door, glad that it wasn't too busy inside.

She sat down, and composed a text, knowing what his answer would probably be.

Her seat was near the window, and she looked out to the damp streets as the sunlight slowly faded away.

...

Johan gritted her teeth as the energy faded from her body. She had been walking for a while now, unsure of where she was going. She wasn't even sure what she was looking for. The rain had started not too long ago, and now her main objective was to find shelter before trying to find healing supplies.

A shiver ran through her tanned body as her right arm began to tremble violently. The pain was getting stronger, but still well within her threshold. She was walking alongside a dwelling, and it seemed to provide marginal shelter from the cold rain. She stopped, and leaned against it. She took a few breaths to calm herself, before slowly sliding her back down the wall until she was sitting on the wet pavement.

She brought her rapidly weakening right arm up in front of her face, and inspected the damage. There were several shards of glass embedded in her arm, as well as some splinters. There were a multitude of cuts lacerating her arm, some deeper than others.

Grimacing, she began pulling shards and slivers out with her teeth, ignoring the pain as razor-sharp edges sliced through her tender flesh with the utmost ease. Blood began flowing freely from the now-open wounds, but she continued. Each piece she pulled out, she spat onto the ground beside her. There were some she couldn't reach with her teeth, and she risked grasping at the protruding edges with her slender fingers.

One particular sharp sliver pricked her finger as soon as she touched it, and she cursed as blood slowly beaded from the new cut. Her clothes were streaked with blood, and it would be drying upon her skin right now if it weren't for the rain. The hot blood was rapidly mixing with the rain water that covered her, washing all down her arms and dripping onto her clothes and legs. Blood from her arm was smeared across her lips and cheeks, slashed across her chin and trickling down her slender throat. She knew she was a mess, and more than anything she desired to have her healer by her side.

A few minutes later, and all the pieces she could reach were extracted, leaving slowly bleeding holes in her flesh. She was feeling light-headed now from the pain in her arm and the blood-loss. She hadn't lost enough to affect her mental faculties too badly, but she could definitely tell she had lost some. The pain in her right side was starting to worsen too, and she feared a broken rib.

She pulled off her scarf, and began to slowly wrap it around her damaged limb. Her fingers were cold, weak, and trembling, but she persisted until most of the wounds were covered by the red scarf. Slowly, blood began to seep through, staining it a darker red. It brought a sad smile to her face, as she cast her eyes to the now-dark street.

Lost, in pain, and unsure of her next course of action, she pulled her knees tightly to her chest. She knew she could brave the cold and wet until morning; but what she would do when morning came, she did not know.

...

Meg brushed her bangs out of her eyes self-consciously as Kyohei stared at her from across the table.

"So, did you have a good day off?" He asked. He was well aware of her busy schedule.

"It was relaxing." She replied. "I'm so broke though, I couldn't buy anything!"

He laughed. "You're doing good for your age though, I gotta say."

She rolled her eyes. "You sound like you're thirty! You're only two years older than me, you know!"

"Yeah, but I have parents who don't mind helping me out." He pointed out. "And my schooling is nearly free after the government reimburses me through the culinary tradeship program." He said. "You have none of that."

She slapped his arm playfully, then immediately wondered if he would take it as flirting. She decided not to think too much about it as she took a sip from her coffee.

"Well aren't you just all set for life?" She asked, sticking her tongue out at him.

He shrugged, and looked away for a second, before looking back.

"It hasn't been easy." He clarified. "But it has been a lot easier than what I've watched you go through." He said.

She stopped, and looked at him, unsure of what to say.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

He grinned. "We both know that there is no way that it was a total coincidence that the times you were low on money, was the same time you were borrowing cans of tuna from me to feed the neighbourhood stray cats." He said.

Immediately, her face flushed red as embarrassment flooded through her. She looked down at the table, unsure of what to say. She couldn't get mad at him. He was too nice for that. But what he said was true. She had struggled a lot to get to where she was, and she wasn't anywhere nice just yet. She had a long way to go, and she had no doubt that it would be much harder down the road.

"It's okay though." He said quickly, seeing her sad expression. "I admire everything you have done on your own. I really do. You're a great person, Meg. You are a hard worker, honest, and very nice. You're gonna go far in life, I think."

She looked up, unsure of what to say. It seemed that every time they had a conversation, something like this happened. Clearly, he was into her. He had to know by now that she wasn't reciprocating.

She sighed, and took another sip of coffee. She thanked him as she set it down. "Thanks, Kyo. Your words mean a lot to me. And I'm really glad you've been there for me when I needed you." She said. "You're a nice guy."

He offered a crooked smile, before standing. He jangled his keys in his hand, and adjusted his watch on his wrist.

"Wanna head 'er?" He asked. "It's raining pretty hard by now. The roads will be slick."

She nodded, and stood. She stretched briefly, yawning, before following him to the door. He held it open for her, and she thanked him, before stepping out into the street. The cold breeze whistled by her, and she shivered for a second. Right now she was protected by the awning, but she knew she would be even colder when she stepped into the rain.

"Wait here, I'll bring the car around." He said, ever thoughtful. "It's just across the street and down the road aways."

She nodded, and he pointed to the shop. "Feel free to wait inside if you like."

She smiled at him, and he took off down the street, jogging quickly. A few seconds later, and he disappeared into the darkening evening air. Few pedestrians were walking the streets now. It was a little past six. The sky was black, a truly fierce storm, and the rain was whipping down now, no longer falling but propelled forcibly earthward.

Kyohei really wasn't that far away, she realized, as she heard the car start up in the distance. The exhaust note was waspish, as it always was when cold. When the engine warmed, it would transform into a deep growl. A truly impressive feat of the exhaust system, she was told, since the engine was a three cylinder, high-revving engine that normally put out a high-pitched drone.

She heard the engine revving a few times, then the dull scrape of wet tires slipping over wet asphalt. Seconds later, and lights cut through the dark rain as the vehicle moved closer.

Within seconds, and the car came to a stop beside her. She quickly leapt to the side of the vehicle, throwing open the door and climbing inside.

She shivered, and closed the door.

"Home time?" She asked.

He nodded. "Home time." He replied. He checked over his shoulder for traffic, then revved the engine again. He cut the wheel to the left, and pulled out onto the road. The rear wheels quickly lost traction as he pressed the gas harder, and the vehicle swung around until it was pointing in the direction he wanted.

He accelerated smoothly, shifting low to keep the turbo from making too much boost. He didn't want unnecessary wheel spin.

Meg yawned, then looked to her left out the window. She let her head fall until it was resting against the glass, and stared at the scenery as it passed by. Lulled by the droning of the engine, and the soft, insisting sound of the wiper blades, her eyelids began to fall. She struggled to keep them open, but her mind insisted it was time to rest. Still, she fought, and opened them one more time, looking out the window at the soaking wet streets before they fell closed.

A few seconds later, and her mind processed what she had seen. Her head shot up, and her hands reached for the dash in front of her.

"Stop!" She yelled, looking at Kyohei. He slammed on the brakes, panicked, and skidded to a stop. He leaned forward and peered out the windshield, looking for some unseen danger as his car rocked on the suspension.

"What?" He asked.

She looked behind her, but couldn't see through the inky blackness.

"Back up for a minute." She said.

"What?"

"Back up!" She insisted.

He reluctantly put the gear shift in reverse, then looked in his mirror as he began to slowly back up. The streets seemed deserted, but he didn't want someone to hit him from behind. Luckily the rain wasn't so heavy that it would be impossible to see the approaching headlights.

He let the clutch out fully as they picked up speed, and his transmission whirred steadily as the straight-cut teeth merged together.

"How far back are we going?" He asked.

"I don't know, just wait 'til I say stop." She said. "I'm not even sure what I saw."

He rolled his eyes, but said nothing. He would indulge her in her whim. It seemed harmless enough.

"Little further..."

Slowly, through the rain, she could make out the shape that had caught her eye.

"Stop! Here!" She exclaimed.

Kyohei pushed in the clutch as his foot found the brake, and Meg was already clawing at the door handle to get out. He turned on his hazard lights, and unbuckled his seat belt, intent on following her. When the car came to a complete stop, he threw the transmission into neutral as he ripped the emergency brake. Meg was already out of the car, door left ajar, and he quickly followed suit.

Meg rushed over to the figure hunched against the wall, unprotected from the onslaught of the rain. Her mind immediately wondered if it was a homeless child, or a child simply kicked out of their house for whatever reason. It didn't matter; her heart went out to the person just the same.

She dropped to her knees beside the figure, mindless of the cold, wet pavement. She reached out toward the curled up figure, wondering if they were alive.

"H-hey, you alright?" She asked. Her voice did not trigger a response, so she risked a touch. Her fingers brushed against the person's cheek, but again, no response. Kyohei now at her side, she gently lifted the person's head from their knees to get a better look at the face.

She was greeted by smooth, dark skin as rain-soaked hair clung tightly to their sharp features. The nose was small, the lips thin. The eyebrows were neatly groomed, but her eyes widened in shock. She registered none of this as she took in the blood that seemed to be everywhere. She fell back, and Kyohei put his arm around her, unsure of the movement, but unwilling to let her fall to the cold pavement. He sheltered her from the rain as he put his body between Meg's and the stranger's.

"Is...is he dead?" She asked. The long silver hair indicated that it was female, but the blood made the figure seem more masculine, and Meg couldn't detect the presence of breasts underneath the fabric that the person was covered in. Some guys wore their hair long these days...

Kyohei leaned forward, and pressed two fingers against the throat, feeling around for a second.

"Alive," He determined, a grimace in his voice. "But just barely."

A gasp escaped Meg's throat before she could stop it. "T-take him to the hospital!" She said.

Kyohei reached down, and threaded his arms under the person's knees, then reached around and supported the neck. With a grunt, he stood, hefting the unconscious body with just a bit of strain.

"What am I going to do?" He asked, unsure of what she wanted.

"Drive him to the hospital!" She said loudly.

He began moving toward his car, even as he realized what would happen.

"And you're just going to stand here in the rain while I drive all the way across town?" He asked.

"It's rain, it won't kill me!" She said. "Just go!"

Then, she stopped. There were odd things dangling from the person's waist, and Kyohei noticed it just as she did.

"Is he a cos-player or something?" He asked. Meg shook her head. "There's no time for speculation."

Kyohei leaned forward and deposited the body into the passenger seat, before straightening up.

"Are you sure? That's a hell o-"

He was interrupted when she gave him a shove. "No time for words, call me when you reach the hospital!" She said.

Kyohei slid into his car, and flicked off his hazard lights as he popped the emergency brake. He threw his car into gear, then took off. A quick glance at the empty road in front of him, before his eyes found the red-headed girl in his rear-view. Drenched through with icy rain water, and with a bigger heart than anyone he had known, she got smaller and smaller until she faded into the blackness.

Meg returned to the sidewalk, and sat down on the curb,breathing heavily. She hadn't done any physical work, but the adrenaline flowing through her veins was making her hyperventilate. It was also keeping her warm. For now. She couldn't believe she had found someone just lying on the street like that. She shivered; not from cold, but from nerves.

The blood had been unnerving. She had never really seen that much of it before. Not in real life. It was scary. She could almost smell it. She felt her stomach twist, and she took a deep breath. She hoped the person was okay. She shivered again, and this time it was from the cold. The rain was soaking her. Her shirt clung to her back. She wanted to check her phone for messages, or maybe go on the internet to pass the time, but it would be drenched in seconds in this downpour. She then sighed in disappointment. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't. She left her keys and phone in Kyohei's car. Damnit.

...

Kyohei cast a glance at the unconscious person in the seat next to him, before downshifting for the red light ahead. The hospital was across town. Traffic wasn't likely to be heavy, but there were photo-radar setups at nearly all of the intersections between himself and the hospital. Not to mention what kind of line-up awaited him at the hospital. He sighed. He couldn't leave Meg out in the rain for what was seeming like more than an hours' wait. He just couldn't. But what option did he have...?

He glanced at the still form once more, and something caught his eye in the center console. He glanced at the road, then down again. Meg's keys and cell phone!

The apartments were a hell of a lot closer than the hospital...

The red light was taking forever. Nevermind the hospital. He made a right turn, accelerating hard toward the apartments. This person could just shack up in Meg's apartment while he went back and collected Meg from the side of the road.

...

Meg wasn't sure how long it had been, but she was sure it had been close to half an hour. If nothing bad happened, Kyohei should be just reaching the hospital now. She squeezed her eyes closed, and shoved her slightly blue fingers into her armpits. She had contemplated finding shelter, but a walk in either direction had revealed little. Any further, and Kyohei wouldn't be able to find her when he returned. Without a cell phone, calling a cab was out of the question. And even if she could, she had no money...

She let out a frustrated groan. Figures. Her only day off. Everything closed early. This day was terrible.

A/N: This chapter threw me for a loop for a second, because the way I planned the meeting of Jo and Meg, and the subsequent anime-style "Take the injured person home instead of to a hospital like a sensible person" wouldn't really work in Kyohei's two-seater Suzuki Cappuccino Kei car. Anyway, I quickly found a way around that, modifying it just a bit, so that it fit with the original idea of this chapter. Sorry it took so long, I had been without my computer, and couldn't do any work. This chapter had been eating at me every day too. Hope you enjoy it!


	6. Chapter 6

The Path Of Fate - 6

The sound of an engine cutting through the rain and wind perked Meg's interest, and she raised her head as she recognized the exhaust note. Kyohei was back!

She stood, trembling, as the headlights blinded her. Before the car even came to a stop she had whipped open the passenger door. She threw herself in and slammed the door. Kyohei had wisely already turned the heat to maximum, and she curled up in the seat, shivering madly as hot air blew over her.

"You okay?" He asked, concern coloring his tone. She looked into his dark brown eyes, and nodded. "J-just cold." She stuttered. "You sure made it to the hospital and back really fast. You didn't get any tickets, did you?"

He looked away as he began driving, guilt seeping into his voice.

"Well, uh, no speeding tickets..."

"What happened?" She asked, automatically knowing something wasn't right from the tone of his voice.

"I didn't exactly take him to the hospital." He said. "And there's something else..."

"What?" She asked. "What else? And why didn't you take him to the hospital?"

"It would have taken too long, You would have froze to death!" He said. "And, well...you had better just see for yourself."

"Where is he?" She asked.

He cast a glance at her, before slowing to make a sharp right turn. "Your apartment." He said.

She said nothing, but turned to look out the window. There was silence for a few minutes, then she spoke.

"Thank you for everything you've done." She said. "I really appreciate it."

Kyohei was about to reply, but was cut off as she continued.

"With that being said...my apartment? The hell were you thinking?" She asked. "He could go through any of my things and steal whatever he pleased! He better still be knocked out by the time we get there!" She said angrily. Kyohei knew she would be mad, but even so. He had done what was best for her, and that was what was important. He upshifted as he approached the speed limit, passing another lonely car on the road.

"We'll be home in another minute or so." He said.

"Yeah, and you're coming in with me to make sure I don't get attacked!" She declared. He suppressed a grin. He didn't want to tell her that he didn't think there would be much attacking going on. That 'guy', after all, was actually a girl.

Kyohei slowed for the turn into the parking lot, and idled his car right into his parking spot. Meg grabbed her keys and phone from the center console, and got out, slamming the door angrily.

"Meg, really, it's not that bad!" He tried to reason with her, but as he did he knew it would be useless. She was ferocious when she was angry.

A few short minutes later, and Meg inserted her key into her lock. She spared a short glare at Kyohei, before turning the key. The lock disengaged with an audible click, and she twisted the handle. The door swung in silently.

Meg stepped into her apartment cautiously. The person Kyohei had let loose in her apartment could be anywhere.

Kyohei squeezed through the doorway, and stepped in front of Meg as they walked quietly through the apartment. They were on carpet, and completely silent.

Kyohei turned and pointed down the hall; presumably toward Meg's room. She nodded, and they crept slowly forward.

Meg stopped when she reached her bedroom door. She placed her hand on the handle, and inhaled deeply. She held her breath for a minute before letting it out as quietly as she could. She then twisted the handle, and pushed the door open.

She wasn't sure what she expected to see, but it wasn't the sight before her. Laying on her bed, wrapped up in several blankets, the person was all but concealed. Only a dash of silver hair was visible, strewn across the pillows.

Meg stopped, and leaned against the door frame, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Still sound asleep, eh?" She asked quietly. She caught Kyohei's nod beside her, and she continued to stare at the barely visible figure.

"So what were you saying about me having to see something?" She asked softly.

Kyohei hummed for a second. "Well, you know how this guy is passed out in your bed?" He asked.

"Yeah..."

"Well, that is incorrect. It is actually a girl passed out in your bed."

Meg's eyes widened, and she looked down at her own chest as she recalled her first glimpses of the silver-haired girl. "She must be pretty damn flat, for a girl."

Kyohei couldn't stifle a snicker. "Ahh, well, not everyone is as blessed as you, I'm afraid." He said.

"That's for sure." She agreed dryly. She was silent for a moment, considering.

"So what do we do now?" She asked.

Kyohei shook his head. "I'm not sure." He replied. "However, seeing as she is female, I trust you can take care of her? I wouldn't want to be the one she sees when she wakes up. It would be a tad suspicious." He said.

Meg laughed. "Yeah, that is understandable." She reached up and scratched her cheek slowly. "You want to go make us some food or something to drink?" She asked hopefully. Kyohei smiled at her, and reached out, ruffling her hair. "Sure. Anything you want." He said.

Meg grinned widely. "You can just surprise me!" She suggested. He waved a hand at her as he left the room. "Holler if you need me, Meg."

Meg hummed in acknowledgement, as her eyes settled on the sleeping girl in her bed. She wasn't sure if she should simply wait for her to wake up, or just...what? What exactly did she need to do, anyway?

Meg slowly moved closer to the bed, and tentatively reached out to the edge of the blanket. She wondered if the girl was wounded. Anything serious dictated a trip to the hospital.

As she stepped closer, her foot came down on a hard, round object. She winced as it pressed sharply into the soft skin of her foot, and she looked down in surprise. She was stepping on a round shaft, and it seemed to be connected to...the weapon she had seen earlier. She stopped, and bent down. That wasn't a very safe place for them. She reached out for the handle to the axe, but stopped short. The axe blade seemed to be coated in dried blood. It was flaky, rusted and brown with oxidation, and if she hadn't seen the massive amounts of blood covering the girls face earlier, she would have passed it off as convincing fake blood. Now though, she had no doubt it was real blood. She gingerly picked the axe up by the handle, and moved it toward the wall. She leaned it up against the wall, and did the same with the sheathed sword. Once more returning her gaze to the girl and now on her knees and level with her, she got a better look at her face. The skin was bronze, a strong, attractive color. The lips were flawless, the jaw line smooth and decidedly feminine. Her long silver hair was splayed out upon the pillow, her bangs cascading across her face.

Entranced, Meg reached out and touched the girl's cheek. Her fingertips slid gently across her tanned skin, but the girl didn't stir. The rain had washed away most of the traces of blood, and the pillow she was laying on was streaked with dried blood. This lead Meg to believe that what the rain hadn't washed off, had been rubbed onto her pillow. Her face still bore streaks of the red liquid, but it wasn't quite as serious looking now.

Remembering what she wanted to do, she slowly began peeling back the covers that the sleeping girl was snuggling into. There was no resistance as Meg pulled the blankets to her waist.

The clothing covering her chest was a tough kind of flexible chest protector. Meg wasn't sure if it was real leather or not. She couldn't tell. She gently rolled the girl onto her back, and found the straps holding the chest protector on. Slowly unbuckling them, she carefully removed it and set it aside. Underneath that, it seemed that a sleeveless black overshirt was all that she was wearing. Lying on her back, it looked to Meg like her chest was an A cup, nothing spectacular at all. She wondered if that would change if the girl sat up. Usually laying down flattened them out, she thought. She shrugged, then stopped abruptly as she saw the right forearm wrapped in a bloody red rag. Knowing that it wouldn't be pretty underneath, she gingerly unwrapped it. When she let the rag drop away, she winced, biting her lip. The cuts and punctures on her arm looked horribly painful, and Meg knew she couldn't leave it like that. It was probably already infected.

She knew she had a medical first aid kit in the bathroom, and she got up to go get it. As she entered the bathroom that was right across the hall from her bedroom, she idly wondered how the girl had gotten so hurt. Although she was sure she would find out when she woke up.

She pulled the small box out from underneath the sink by the handle, and toted it back to the room. The girl hadn't moved, still on her back and unconscious. She sat down on the bed once more, and opened the box. It contained a myriad of things, and while Meg was no surgeon, she had certainly had her fair share of clumsy accidents.

She looked over the forearm once more, and decided that before she did anything, a thorough cleaning was in order. The arm was covered in dirt and dried sweat. As was most of her exposed skin.

Meg tore open a cleansing pad, and pulled out the towelette. The strong smell of antiseptic alcohol reached her nose, but she ignored it. She gently picked up the girl's arm, and pulled it closer. She put the hand down in her lap, and began to slowly and gently scrub at the wounded arm. It was clear there was still debris in some of the wounds as the dirt was removed and gleaming shards of glass were revealed. Meg felt her own arm pain in response to the slashed skin, and she tried to be even more gentle. She grimaced as she realized she would need to use tweezers to pull the slivers of glass from the tender flesh.

She selected the small pair of tweezers from the kit, and started at the top of the forearm, near the elbow. She held her breath, then chose a shard of glass that was embedded deeply into the skin on the inside of her forearm. She had no sooner pulled the piece of glass from her arm, when her hand twitched, fingers brushing the inside of Meg's thigh.

Meg froze, and a soft groan emitted from the girl laying in front of her. Meg wasn't sure what to do, but she didn't have too long to think as the girl stirred. A second later and the girl's fingers slipped against her thigh again, this time staying there. Meg felt her face heating up, but this was hardly a sexual situation.

Another groan, and her eyes flickered open. Meg's eyes widened in surprise, and she couldn't suppress a gasp as she saw the dark red eyes of the girl in front of her. Hearing the sound, the girl immediately tried to sit up. She winced in pain, left hand flying to her waist to hold her ribs protectively. Concern obvious in her voice, Meg reached forward and subdued the young girl with her hands on her bare shoulders, talking to her with a soft, calm voice.

"No no, lay back down." She said softly. "You're too injured to move around."

If it weren't for the gesture, Johan wouldn't have known what she was trying to say, but she knew enough to lay back down. The right side of her chest felt like it was on fire, and her right arm was in severe pain. She shook her head to get her bangs out of her eyes, then focused her sharp gaze on the woman in front of her.

"Who are you?" She asked, her tone sharp. She wasn't sure where she was, but she was glad she was no longer in the rain. The girl stared at her dumbly, before shaking her head. She said something in reply, but the language barrier was glaringly obvious.

Johan ignored her, and assessed her body. Her chest protector was undone, beside her. Her left arm was across her waist, holding her side, and her right arm was... She followed her arm, and saw her hand between the girl's legs, high up on the inside of her thigh. She wasn't sure why, but she assumed it had something to do with the medical tools the girl had spread around her. So she was a caregiver, and not someone to be harmed. For now.

"Johan." She said slowly, pointing to herself with her left hand. She repeated her name once more, staring into the girl's eyes.

Meg stared back at her, thinking about her name. It was distinctly un-Japanese, and although she was sure it was spelled with a J, or her languages equivilent, it was pronounced with a Y. Like, Yohan.

"Johan." She said. The girl nodded, then said something else. Meg shook her head, letting her know that she didn't understand her.

Johan inwardly groaned in frustration. The language barrier was infuriating. She had given her own name, and wanted to know the name of the girl in front of her. She had asked, but of course the girl had not understood her.

"Johan." She said again, pointing at herself. She then swiftly pointed at the girl, and made a questioning noise. Hopefully she got the context of what she was asking.

Meg raised an eyebrow as the girl restated her name, then pointed at her.

"You are Johan, yes...me. You want me...? You want..." She perked up as she realized what she wanted.

"You want my name!"

Johan nodded as she saw the spark of recognition in her eyes.

"Meg."

Johan tried the name out on her tongue a few times. It was much more feminine than anything in her native language, which was quite rough and brutal.

First and foremost, Johan decided. She needed to overcome the language barrier. She had learned her own language, and picked up parts of other languages during her raids on foreign shores, and wasn't a stranger to trying to survive with a lack of clear communication. Most of it was finding common gestures that could easily be recognized, and assigned a common name. She decided to begin immediately. She was hungry.

She mimed shoving food into her mouth, and it was one of the easiest, most universal gestures ever. Meg immediately caught on, and held up a hand. Also easily recognizable. Wait. Hold on. One moment.

She got off the bed, and disappeared through the doorway. Johan sighed, and looked around. She was on a rather comfortable sleeping device, and it was much better than sleeping on furs on the hard ground. Although she doubted she would find anything as mentally comforting as being blanketed by wolf furs.

She gently stretched as much as she could without generating pain, then settled back into the comforting padding surrounding her. She had no idea what was going on and why she was separated from her pack in a foreign land, but she was determined to find her way back home.

Meg found herself in the kitchen, and was talking to Kyohei in hushed tones. Nevermind that the girl couldn't understand their language, it was more a force of habit than anything else.

"What do you think I should feed her?" Meg asked. "She doesn't appear to be sick, but she is pretty injured."

Kyohei chuckled, and stirred the contents of a pot on the stove.

"I kind of figured as such. I made a stew that has small chunks of meat in it, veggies, lots of good stuff. It will be easy for her to eat-or drink, as the case may be-, and digest."

Meg thanked him, as he ladled some soup into a cup for her.

"Do you want some?" He asked. Meg shook her head. "No, I still have a bunch of pieces of wooden splinters and glass to pull out of her arm." She said. "Then, if she doesn't feel like going back to sleep, I'm going to throw her into the shower."

Kyohei shrugged. "Well, when I'm done cleaning up, I'll probably go home unless you want me to stick around for anything. You can help yourself, I'll keep the soup on the back burner on low heat."  
>Meg smiled, and thanked him.<p>

"Thanks for all your help today Kyohei, I really really appreciate it." She said. Against her better judgement, she leaned in and pulled him into a hug. It only lasted for a second, and when she pulled away, she brushed the hair from her face as she headed toward her room before he could say anything.

Kyohei stared after her for a second with a curious expression on his face, before he disregarded it. There was no sense in getting hopeful.

Sei shook her head as she surveyed the damage. The cleaning crews had come in and immediately cleaned up all the mess. The injured had been taken to the hospital, and the front entrance had been repaired as quickly as possible. The internal damage of the building, though, not exposed to the public eye, was on hold as they tried to figure out where to go from here.

Sei flipped open a notebook and immediately began scribbling down notes. There was much to take care of, and little time. She was glad no one had been killed, but the wounds had been serious.

A sigh escaped her lips, and she closed her eyes as multiple thoughts wracked her brain. She had so much to deal with, and on top of it all, she had gotten the news she had feared most. This easily could have been avoidable. It was a software error, a problem with the coding. While the program was allowed to pick up moving subjects with biometric activity registering on the scans, it was supposed to be limited to animals. There wasn`t supposed to be human interference. Data suggested that the human they had recovered may have been riding a horse, which would have fit the parameters, but poor coding made the computer less picky when acquiring a target. A few months ago, Sei had pitched an idea to bring Amy into the circle of programmers, not only to speed things up, but to ensure programming quality. They had declined, saying that she was not necessary, and that she was too young and didn`t need to have an involvement with the project. If only she had insisted, she could have made it happen. Then, this would not have happened.

Well, there was no point beating herself up about it now, she decided. Amy would be a worthy asset to this side of the company, and she was making an executive decision. Despite what the others thought, Amy was coming onboard tomorrow whether they liked it or not.

Pulling out her cell phone, she dialed Amy's number. She needed to set up a meeting for tomorrow. This thing needed to be gotten under control.

A/N: Just a small little update. Look forward to the next chapter, which will feature lots of Meg and Jo interaction. Thanks for following this story thus far, I look forward to your thoughts and comments. Please leave me a review telling me how you feel.


	7. Chapter 7

The Path Of Fate - 7

Amy glanced at her cell phone as the screen lit up. It slowly danced across the table to the beat of a strong vibration, until she picked it up. Sensing her touch, it stopped vibrating, although the screen still flashed insistently at her.

"Answer." She said, bringing it up to her ear.

"Amy." She recognized the sound of her boss. She straightened up, and muted the music and chat on her computer.

"Sei, how are you?" She asked, taking her feet off her desk.

"Not bad." Was the answer. "Listen, sorry to bother you at home, but could I have you come straight to my office tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah, sure, anything wrong?"

"Well...I'll discuss it with you tomorrow morning." She said. "See you tomorrow."

With that, the conversation was over. Amy hung up, then stared at her computer for a moment, wondering if her job was in danger. She highly doubted it. Shrugging, she un-muted her music and turned back to her laptop.

"Who was that, Princess?" Kouta's voice sounded softly in her ear.

She smiled, despite him not being able to see it. She had muted her speakers, but not her microphone. He had heard the whole conversation. He knew who it was.

"Just the boss, you know that." She said.

He chuckled. "Well, had to make sure. She fire you?"

Amy laughed. "As if! Come on, they wouldn't know what to do with themselves if they fired me!"

He 'tsk'ed in her ear. "Such arrogance, it is unbefitting of a lady." He chided.

"Mmm, then come put me in my place." She said. She had more to say; wanted to, but decided against it.

He leaned back, and grinned at her. "Speaking of," He said. "I have Monday and Tuesday off next week." He said.

"So not tomorrow and the next day, but the Monday and Tuesday after that?" She asked.

He nodded. "You got it."

"So you're gonna come see me Friday night and stay with me the entire time, riiiiight?" She asked.

"I'm certainly going to try." He agreed.

"How's your car coming along?" She asked. "You haven't told me much about it lately."

"Ah, well, I bought a Lexus ISF-350, but I'm thinking about taking the S13 down to see you if I can finish it this week."

She blinked. "S13?" She asked.

He laughed. "For someone who is so smart, you know so little about everything else!"

She waved him off, uncaring. "Ah, not my scene." She said. "Anyway, I thought you had a car you were working on called a...a Nissan 240sx?" She said.

He laughed loudly. "Hesitation? Really? What did you do, look at the sweater I gave you?"

She couldn't keep the guilt out of her voice as she denied his claim.

"N-noo..." She said.

"Aha, you totally did!" He said. "Anyway, the S13 is the same as the 240sx. S13 just denotes a particular set of years the 240sx was made. There are also S14's, and S15's, but each of those years came with a body styling change, and I don't like them." He said.

She nodded to herself. "Ah, okay, I see." She lied. "I got it!"

He smiled. "Sure you do."

"I want to see you." She blurted out, ignoring his teasing. His smile disappeared, and he tilted his head to the side.

"You'er going to, Princess." He said softly. She blushed, embarassed at her outburst.

"I hope so." She mumbled. "Hey, listen, I gotta go. Text me." She quickly signed off and stood up, stretching. She glanced at the clock. It was quarter after six. Several hours too early to be offline, but she was scared. Scared of how strongly she felt for him. It was unsettling. Yet, also exciting.

She picked her her cell phone as it vibrated, and she carried it with her to her room. Kouta was probably questioning her speedy retreat from the internet. She sighed. She didn't know what to tell him.

...

Meg slipped quietly into the room, and handed the cup of soup to Johan. The bloodied girl accepted it, raising it to her nose to sniff at it for a second. Meg smiled at her curious behaviour, as the silver haired girl slowly took a sip. After a moment's consideration, the girl nodded her approval.

"It's good." Johan said, nodding. She took another sip, and decided that it was downright delicious.

Meg couldn't understand any of the harsh-sounding language that emitted from the girl's throat in a rough growl, almost toned down to a purr, but the nodding and continued consumption was a good sign, she thought. Surely, no one could dislike Kyohei's cooking.

As Johan continued to drink the soup from the cup, Meg got to work on her arm. As Meg picked up the tweezers, Johan caught on to what she wanted, and reached forward with her right arm. She placed it back in her lap, fingers caressing the inside of her thigh once more.

Meg blushed lightly, unused to any kind of touch near there, but resumed her work. After a few minutes, she fell into a steady rythm of pulling and cleaning, and it wasn't long before she became aware of a steady gaze upon her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and she slowly raised her head to meet Johan's predatory gaze. Those deep ruby orbs were unnerving, and Meg felt like the silver haired girl was...She wasn't sure, but it felt like the girl was analyzing her, picking her apart. As silly as that seemed.

She couldn't hold her gaze for long, before she looked away meekly, returning to her task. It wasn't long before she was finished, and the clank of a cup signified that Johan was as well.

Meg stood, and stretched, looking down at the girl who stared back up at her.

"Shower?" She asked her.

The girl stared. So unnerving, those entrancing eyes.

Meg sighed, then mimicked rubbing her skin. She pretended to scoop up water, then wash her arms with it.

The girl nodded suddenly, and stood. Meg took a step back as the girl swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood quickly, before stopping and grabbing her side.

Immediately concerned, Meg moved closer and put her arm around the girl's shoulders. Johan looked at her, then straightened up slowly. Meg tilted her head in the direction she wanted the girl to walk. As she did, she noticed the scent that the girl gave off. She smelled like sweat, dirt, and blood. She wrinkled her nose, and shook her head.

"Gah. You _need _a damn bath, girl."

The girl looked at her questioningly, but Meg shook her head once more. She began to lead, and moved her arm to around her hips, helping support her as she slowly began to move.

It was a few short steps to the bathroom across the hall, and it was there that Meg stopped. She pointed to the shower. Surely, as foreign as this girl was, she would recognize one of these...right?

Johan stared dumbly at it, unsure of what to do. She awaited instruction, as Meg wondered idly if the girl was actually this stupid, or possibly suffering amnesia.

As they just stood there, it became obvious that Johan did not know what was expected of her.

Sighing, Meg released her, and moved over to the shower. She swiftly turned on the hot and cold knobs, adjusting them for perfect temperature as she pulled out the stop-knob for the shower head.

"Now you just get in and wash yourself." Meg said. Johan merely turned her gaze from the now-steaming shower, to her, and raised her hands in a questioning gesture.

Meg transfered her weight to her right leg, her hip jutting out, as she stared back at Johan. She ran her hand through her long red hair as she considered what to do. She did not miss how Johan followed every movement with her eyes.

Well, there was no way this dirty, unkempt girl was sleeping in her bed tonight, so she would have no choice but to show her how to use the shower.

She stepped forward, and reached out for the hem of Johan's shirt. Johan's next movement caught her by surprise.

Johan, caught off guard by the sudden reach for her, swiftly reacted and grabbed both of her wrists in a tight grip, twisting them inward until her wrists faced outward, and she was unable to move.

Meg let out a yelp of pain at the sudden twist, and tears formed in her eyes. Panic shot through her as she wondered what this violent girl would do to her, and she considered hollering for Kyohei.

Just as quickly, the pain was gone, and she steadied herself as her wrists were released. Johan had taken a step away from her, arms up in front of her.

Meg stared her, blinking away the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. She held up her hands to show that she was unarmed, and non-threatening, before slowly moving forward again. She slowly reached out, wondering if she would be attacked again. She wasn't sure why she was in the first place; it wasn't like the girl was adverse to touch. She had spent the last twenty minutes picking glass out of her arm.

Johan allowed the red-haired girl to slowly touch her hips. After that it was clear what she wanted. She let the girl pull off her black shirt, revealing her body, but wasn't expecting her reaction.

Meg gasped, horrified, when she saw the multitude of cuts and bruises adorning her body. There were also old scars, and what looked like one or two puncture wounds near her stomach. Said stomach was toned with light abdominal muscles rippling under the other-wise unmarked skin, and Meg wondered what could have caused her to recieve so many wounds. The black sleeveless shirt slipped from her grasp and fell to the cold tile floor, forgotten as Meg saw the black and blue heavy bruising covering her right side. It looked like she might have a few broken ribs. She really needed to see a doctor.

Johan took the initiative, sliding off the rest of her clothes. The rest of her body was just as toned, smooth skin over firm muscles.

Now, as Johan turned around and moved toward the shower like Meg pointed, her eyes caught another detail she hadn't noticed. Overlaying the curves of her shoulder and back was a black tattoo, with many sleek curves and sharp points. It looked like it extended down her left arm, but Meg hadn't noticed it until now. It was clearly tribal in nature.

Johan stopped and turned around to look at Meg. Meg hastily brought her gaze up from her narrow waist and lower back dimples to return the look. Completely comfortable in all her nakedness, Johan simply beckoned for her to join.

Meg was caught off guard. Why did she want company in the shower? Perhaps all her various soaps and shampoos were unknown to her? Not unlikely, considering she didn't even know how to turn the shower on. Perhaps there was another reason...?

Meg shook her head. Now her imagination was just getting naughty. And she had no business thinking _those_ thoughts.

She hurriedly stripped off her clothes, letting them land on the floor. No point in letting the water run, she thought. Her water bill was high enough.

She stepped into the shower first, and as she took Johan's hand to help her in, she couldn't even feel awkward. After everything she had been through all day today, the hot water felt nice.

Johan stepped under the hot stream of water, and closed her eyes. Meg took a second to look over her body again. The tan really worked for her. The scars weren't that noticeable unless you were actually staring, and there weren't so many of them that they detracted from her beauty. They were still a mystery, though. Who, in this day and age, got into that many fights?

The silver haired girl tilted her head back under the stream of hot water, and ran both her hands through her long hair. With her head tilted back, the tips hung down to her well curved behind, the color darkening slightly as it got wet.

Her right arm had stopped bleeding, and the pain didn't seem to bother her as the hot water pounded down on her cuts. Although, Meg thought, from the look of it, it took a lot to hurt this girl.

Meg moved closer so she could get wet from the water, and Johan immediately somehow felt her movement, for she opened her eyes and stared at her.

Meg froze, fearing another attack, but the girl only backed up and motioned for her to come closer. Meg did, and the hot water sprayed down onto her. She sighed softly as the water soaked her hair, dripping onto her nose as her bangs stuck to her cheeks.

"I can't help but notice, you're very well endowed." Johan said. Meg stared up at her, uncomprehending. Johan paused. She had forgotten the language barrier. She repeated herself slower, pointing first to her own chest and then holding her fingers about an inch apart, then pointed to Meg's chest, then held her fingers as wide apart as she could.

It was entertaining to see the red-headed girl flush bright red, her vibrant blue eyes widening as her hands covered up her chest.

Johan allowed herself a grin, and shrugged, palms up. There was nothing wrong with appreciating the healer's assets, she thought. Although she sure was shy. Had she never mated with anyone before? Although it did make sense. Dedicated healers in her time also never took mates.

The blue eyed girl looked away now, focusing her attention elsewhere. Johan watched as she grabbed a small container. The lid easily popped open, and a white cream was squeezed into her hand. Johan watched curiously as the red-head massaged this cream into her hair. She was unsure of it's purpose, but soon, it started to bubble in her hair. It also had an enticing scent.

After a few moments, the girl stopped. She opened her eyes and saw Johan watching her. She offered the bottle to her, but Johan was unsure of what to do. She shrugged, holding her hands up questioningly. The girl rolled her eyes in response. She proceeded to squeeze some of the liquid into her hand, then reached toward her. This time, Johan ignored the reaction to grab her arms, and allowed her to gently scrub at her hair.

It felt rather good, Johan thought, as she leaned into the touch. She closed her eyes, and let the healer scrub at her scalp.

After a few minutes, Meg had stopped. Johan didn't like that. She opened her eyes, and stared at Meg. She looked up at her questioningly. Johan gently reached down and grabbed her hands, ignoring the flinch that the gesture received. She then placed Meg's hands back onto her head, and leaned in close.

Meg blinked as she realized what Johan wanted. She wanted her head rubbed more. She blinked again. This girl was strange. No doubt about it. Cuts and bruises everywhere, what looked like a broken rib, and she wanted her damn head scratched. She sighed, and gently scratched at her skull like she would a dog. After a few minutes, she moved a bit closer so she could slide her hands from the top of her head, all the way down her back, through her hair. She didn't want all the soap sitting in one spot, even as the shower stream was washing it away.

Minutes ticked away unnoticed by both of them as Johan entrusted her life completely to the "healer." She had been in too many critical situations NOT to trust people offering help. Either way she would have died, so might as well take the chance that someone was being honest about wanting to help.

Meg, on the other hand, had no idea what was going on in the girl's head. She gently began to wash the soap out of her hair, being careful to get as much as she could. She didn't want to leave her with an itchy head later.

Meg soon finished with that, and pulled away. When Johan opened her eyes, it was clear she wanted her to continue, but did not make a grab for her hands like she had before. Meg took this opportunity to carefully wash the rest of her body, knowing that Johan was watching her every move. She seriously hoped Johan had perfected the art of imitation at this point; washing down another girl wasn't something she wanted to do.

Luckily, all she needed to do was squirt some body soap into the girl's hand, and she mimicked Meg, washing herself pretty thoroughly.

Meg exited the shower, dripping wet. Her own hair had long since rinsed itself free, and her body was clean. She was now feeling pretty tired, and ready for bed.

She yawned, as she thought about sleeping arrangements. She was far too tired to wash and dry her sheets tonight, and she wasn't sleeping on the bloodied fabric, so the girl could take the bed tonight. Tomorrow, she would clean them, and find out what to do with her. Part of her mind still insisted on making her go to the hospital, but another said that there was no way her ribs were broken. She was standing, bending, talking and moving normally. People with broken ribs didn't do that. Tomorrow would tell her all she needed to know.

She began brushing her teeth, staring at her reflection in the still-foggy mirror. She reached up and wiped away the condensed moisture, and was mildly surprised when Johan's face appeared beside her own.

Spitting out the toothpaste, she looked over her shoulder at the girl questioningly. The girl stared back, apparently waiting for direction.

Meg grabbed a towel from the rack on the wall, and tossed it to her. Immediately, the girl understood, and Meg looked away as she began drying herself.

_'It's like dealing with a child.' _Meg thought idly, resuming her brushing. _'But at least the child catches on quickly.'_

Meg threw her toothbrush onto the sink, and wiped her mouth. She needed to dry off herself, she thought, as cold droplets of water dripped down her back from her wet hair. She suppressed a shiver, before taking a towel of her own. She wrapped it around her body, and opened the bathroom door. The cold air rushing in made her shiver, but a glance over her shoulder revealed no response from the similarly toweled silver haired girl.

Meg let the girl follow her back to her bedroom, where she was presented with another dilemma. She couldn't let her get dressed in her dirty, torn, bloody clothes, which meant she would need to find something to fit her. The bottom would be easy, she thought, as she rooted through her drawers. She glanced over her shoulder, and compared chest sizes. So would the top. Anything would fit that girl.

Meg quickly picked something out for herself, then gathered some clothes for the girl.

Turning around, she tossed them at Johan. She caught them swiftly, ever on guard.

Meg walked up to her, with her own clothes in hand.

"Clothes." She said firmly, holding up the mass of clothing.

Johan stared at her.

"Say after me, clothes. Clothes."

Johan nodded, holding her own bundle, but said nothing. Just that penetrating gaze...

Meg blinked, unsure of what to do. "Repeat!" She said. "Clothes."

"Clothesch." Johan said, the ending sounding a bit harsh from her native tongue.

Meg's mouth quirked up into a half-grin, and she coaxed the girl into trying again.

"Clothes!" She tried to enunciate the ending, and she saw Johan's brow furrow in concentration.

"Clothesh." She said. Meg nodded. "Good enough! The rest will come in time!"

She held up the bundle of clothes once more, and repeated the word clothes, then dropped them on the floor. She picked up one item, a shirt, and held it in front of her.

"Shirt." She said.

Johan looked at the item for a second, before reaching out and touching the fabric.

"Schirt." She said. Meg noticed that she was having trouble with pronouncing the 'sh' sound. It was rough, unrefined.

"Good, that one was easy." Meg said, using a tone she would on a dog or cat. She dropped the shirt, and picked up a new item. Holding it in front of her, she pronounced loudly and clearly what it was.

"Shorts."

As expected, Johan couldn't nail the 'sh', but she caught on. Meg smiled, and picked up the bundle of clothes.

"You have your clothes, now put on your shirt and shorts." She said. The girl only recognized the three words, and hesitated like Meg knew she would. Meg began putting on her own clothes, and the girl immediately followed.

When that was done, Meg sat on her bed and patted the space beside her. Johan walked over and sat down beside her. Meg took her arm, and placed it once more in her lap.

"Once I'm done wrapping this, it is bed time." She said, as she fished a roll of bandage from the still-open medkit. "I am really tired."

Slowly, she began wrapping the bandage around her arm, sealing up the cuts. They had already been disinfected, but she wasn't risking further infection later on.

Meg sighed softly. She wasn't really sure what to do. This girl seemed in no hurry to go back to where she came from. Whether she was a local or not, she wasn't sure. Johan had made no move to indicate her desire to leave, to go home, wherever that was.

Meg gently readjusted a section of bandage, before continuing. Did she want a roommate? She wondered. She wasn't sure. She would have to totally support her. Not even speaking Japanese, or even proper English, she would be hard pressed to get a job. Although, at the same time, she couldn't just throw her out. That wouldn't be fair, especially after taking her in.

She groaned, closing her eyes. She wasn't sure. She didn't know. Best to worry about this problem tomorrow, she thought. She leaned down and tore the bandage with her teeth, before securing it with a small piece of tape.

"All done." She said. She patted her arm gently, then looked up at her. "Get some sleep." She said. "We can...er...talk...tomorrow. Night."

With that, Meg got up. She packed all her tools into her medkit, and shoved it carelessly under her bed.

"I'm going to sleep out there," She said, pointing outside the door. "But come get me if you have any problems, or need anything. Night." With that, she left. She was supposed to go to work tomorrow, but she would have to call in sick. She didn't want to...couldn't afford to. Yet she couldn't leave her home alone.

Sighing exhaustedly once more, she let herself fall onto her couch, eyes closed. All this, she could deal with tomorrow. Right now, she just wanted sleep.

A/N: Yay for more interaction! Can't wait for more! Please read and review, let me know what you think! This should have been up sooner, but document manager wouldn't let me upload :( Ah well, I look forward to your thoughts, comments, and criticism.


	8. Chapter 8

The Path Of Fate - 8

Meg hadn't been laying down for very long, when she heard her name being called. Half asleep, it startled her to hear someone in her apartment calling her name. She shot up, immediately waking up, then took a deep breath to calm her racing heart as she realized it was only Johan.

"What do you waaant?" She called out, letting her eyes slide closed. She was so tired. She didn't hear the girl padding softly over to her, so she was nearly rewarded with another heart attack when she opened her eyes to find Johan crouching in front of her, staring at her with those dark red eyes.

"What is it? What's wrong?"Meg asked, rubbing her eyes. She was starting to get a headache.

The girl mimicked raising a glass to her mouth and drinking, and Meg sighed. She stood, and motioned for the girl to follow her. She walked slowly into the kitchen. She didn't bother to turn on the lights; she knew where everything was, and she could see a bit in the dark.

She opened the cupboard with her right hand as her left turned on the tap. She could feel Johan jump slightly beside her at the sudden rush of water, but she ignored it. She flicked it on cold, and waited a few seconds before putting the glass under the stream.

When the glass was filled, she handed it to Johan. The girl accepted it with a muttered word of thanks, before drinking it quickly. When she was finished, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and gave the glass back to Meg. Meg took it and put it into the sink.

"Do you have any alcohol?" Johan asked. She was sure Meg wouldn't understand her question. As she thought, Meg looked at her questioningly, before holding her hands up helplessly.

Johan repeated herself in a futile attempt to convey her question, unsure of a hand gesture for alcohol. She mimicked drinking, then put her hand on her forehead, and pretended to be off balance.

Meg's eyes narrowed at her in the darkness, then she realized what the girl wanted. She wrinkled her nose, and shook her head.

"No, none of that." She replied. Even if she did, she wouldn't give it to her. It was an odd request, that was for sure.

Johan sighed, and turned to retreat to her room. The alcohol helped take away the restlessness, she thought. It was always easier to forget the things she had done, and the people who had been taken from her when she was in a near-stupor.

She laid down in bed, and tried to get some sleep. Tomorrow, she would need to figure out what to do.

Meg returned to the couch she had been laying on, her mind on the girl in her bed. There were many unusual things about her, that much was clear. As she laid back down and stretched out on the couch, she shoved a pillow behind her head. She needed to find a better way of communicating with her. If only she knew what language she was speaking, she could find a translating textbook, or something. Maybe another stop at the library tomorrow was in order. Of course, that meant taking the girl with her. And _that_ meant finding her something decent to wear.

Meg groaned, and cast the problems from her mind. All she wanted right now was a good night of sleep. Eyes closed, breathing slowing, her last thought was that Johan had better not bother her until tomorrow morning.

...

Amy slipped her cell phone into her back pocket as she raised her other hand to knock on Sei's door. Almost immediately, she was beckoned inside by Sei's strong voice.

Amy grabbed the handle and pushed to door open, walking inside and letting it swing closed behind her.

"Good morning Amy, have a seat." Sei motioned. Amy sat herself down, and stared across the table at her generous boss.

"What can I do for you?" Amy asked.

Sei shuffled some papers around on her desk, then folded her hands and leaned forward.

"Okay, you have been in my employ for a few months now, doing pretty high level coding, as well as general project management."

"Correct." Amy said, nodding.

"And you are doing this for some needed credits to complete school." Sei said.

Amy nodded once more.

"Well, that time is drawing to a close, your employment here is almost up. You will be finished in another two weeks."

"Yes, my work here will be complete, and, pending a satisfactory grade from you, I will graduate." Amy replied.

Sei smiled slowly. "Well, I have to say I will give the school my complete approval. You have been a wonderful employee."

Amy couldn't hide her grin as she thanked Sei.

"Thank you so much, that means a lot to me, Sei."

Sei nodded. "So what will you do for a career? Do you have anything lined up after school?"

Amy shook her head. "No, but I will be hitting the job market, looking for whatever I can find."

Sei hummed, picking up a pen. She twirled it idly around her thumb as she contemplated her next sentence.

"How would you like to continue your career at this company?" She asked.

Amy's eyes widened at the proposition. "Y-yes, I'd love to!" She said. "Doing the same work, I presume?"

Sei smiled. "Not exactly. I need your verbal agreement that nothing we discuss will leave this room."

Amy hesitated as she wondered what she was getting into. She didn't see Sei as the illegal activity type...

"Are you involved in anything illegal?" Amy decided to tackle this head on. Not that she was opposed to a little mischief, but she didn't want to do anything that could be rewarded with incarceration.

Sei shook her head. "I assure you, it isn't illegal. However, it is top secret, and of a highly competitive nature. We cannot risk outing our work, and having someone else become a valid competitor."

Amy relaxed visibly. "Oh, okay." She nodded. "Makes sense."

"So you are onboard for this project?"

Amy nodded once more. "Yup. Sign me up."

Sei chuckled softly. "That, my dear, is exactly what we are going to do." She shuffled around a few folders, then selected one seemingly at random. How she knew it was the one she watned was beyond Amy, for it didn't seem like they bore any visible markers to tell them apart. Sei opened it carefully, and handed a sheaf of papers to Amy.

"I suggest you give these a thorough read before you affix your signature to any of them." Sei said. "These aren't your usual kinds of fine print."

Amy gave them a once-over, then nodded. "I'll give them a look over tonight. Bring them in tomorrow."

Sei waved her hand. "Take today off with pay. Sit in your office and go over them, or go home and look at them. I won't lie to you, Amy, this is a bit of a pressing matter, and your skills are imperative to this project. I would like a completed agreement by the end of today."

Amy hummed thoughtfully. "Well, no reason to hang around, then." She said, getting up. "I'll be in my office. See you soon."

Sei dismissed her with a wave, and Amy retreated to her office. Her mind was racing as she wondered just what awaited her in the future.

...

Meg ran her fingers through her hair as she trod sleepily into the kitchen. Her alarm had gone off at six in the morning, and she had promptly called in to her employer, letting them know she couldn't make it. Apparently Johan was a light sleeper, because soon after she had shut off the alarm, the messy-haired girl walked slowly into the living room. She had observed Meg on her cell phone with a reserved gaze, and stayed silent at the hand Meg had held up to her.

When Meg was finished, Johan moved closer to her.

"Meg," She said slowly. "I want food. What do you have around here?"

Meg looked up at her, regarding her with a stare. After a moment, she decided she couldn't decipher the language.

"What?" Was her only reply. It was clear by her tone what she was saying.

Johan rubbed her stomach, and was rewarded with a small growl. She grinned at Meg, raising an eyebrow. "Still don't know what I'm saying?"

Meg stood up, and beckoned for her to follow her to the kitchen. She didn't know what Johan usually ate for breakfast, but the girl was welcome to whatever she could find.

"Hey, Johan..." She paused as she spoke. Johan sounded weird on her lips. Perhaps a nickname was in order? She thought about the spelling of her name as she rummaged through her cupboards. She wondered if the girl would object to a new name. Johan just sounded so...manly. And Norwegian. Or something. Meg didn't really know what it was, but it wasn't a common name. She considered giving her a Japanese name, but being American at heart, it would be nice to have another American named girl to hang out with.

She glanced sideways at the tanned girl as she grabbed a box of cereal and a bowl. She set them down on the counter, and turned to face her.

"I'm changing your name." She declared. Johan looked at her, unblinking.

"Johan is...uncommon. And awkward on the tongue. From now on, you are Jo. I was going to call you Jolene, but you aren't nearly as girly as that name is. So you are Jo."

She pointed at her as she reiterated her nickname, enforcing the relation between the silver-haired girl and her new moniker.

Johan was pretty sure she knew what Meg was doing, although why, she wasn't sure. She pointed at her chest, and repeated the odd name. It was easy to pronounce, the syllables common in her language.

Meg nodded, and poured some cereal into her bowl. Moving to the refrigerator, she opened the door and pulled out a jug of milk. When she turned around, Jo was holding up a Froot Loop, analyzing it carefully. Her red eyes were narrowed, and slightly crossed as she focused on the purple circle. Meg giggled as she walked over, and Jo shifted her gaze to the red-head.

"Something funny?" She asked.

Meg simply took the purple circle from her, and popped it into her mouth, winking at the confused girl as she unscrewed the cover from the milk. She poured it across her cereal, nearly filling her bowl to the brim.

Deciding to ignore Meg's curious behaviour, she realized she was thirsty as she saw Meg pouring milk. She motioned for the jug, and Meg handed it to her, a bit hesitantly.

Immediately, Jo raised the jug to her mouth, taking large swallows as Meg began to protest loudly.

"Jo, don't do that! It's rude!" She grabbed the jug, and yanked it away as milk sloshed across Jo's face and ran down her nose, trailing down her cheeks and sliding down her throat toward her chest. She stared at Meg innocently, as Meg immediately forgot what she was going to say. She watched a few drops of cold milk trailing down the girl's chin, tracing a teasing path down her throat, and disappearing underneath the collar of her shirt.

For a second, they were both silent as they stared at each other. Jo was wondering why she wasn't allowed to drink; Meg was wondering why spilled milk was the sexiest thing she had seen this morning.

Meg tore her gaze away from the slender girl, and reached up into the cupboard to retrieve a glass. She filled it with milk, and handed it to Jo wordlessly. As Jo took it, their fingers touched briefly, sending shivers down Meg's spine.

Jo never seemed to notice, and Meg ignored it, picking up her bowl of cereal and grabbing a spoon as Jo noisily drank from the glass.

"What are we going to do with you today?" Meg asked softly, gazing at her. Jo was leaning against the counter, holding the glass in both hands and staring at the floor.

"I know!" Meg suddenly exclaimed. Jo looked up at her with slight interest, taking note of the tone of her voice.

"We are going to the library. Hopefully there we can find some useful information on your language, and try to translate it."

Jo stared blankly at her.

"Glad you agree." Meg said sarcastically. She really couldn't wait to deal with this language barrier issue. It would be much more enjoyable when she could hold a conversation with her new friend.

Meg looked down at her bowl, then looked up at Jo. Jo met her gaze evenly, and Meg smiled at her.

"Come here." She said softly, coaxing her with her pointer finger.

Jo tilted her head at the gesture, then pushed herself off the counter. She set her glass down on the counter, then stalked her way toward Meg with a litheness only she could pull off. She stopped a few inches in front of Meg, wondering what she wanted.

Meg scooped up a spoonful of cereal, and held it up in front of Jo's mouth. After a seconds' deliberation, Jo opened her mouth and Meg ladled the cereal in.

Jo never broke eye contact with her as she chewed the cereal thoughtfully. It was unlike anything she was used to, she thought as she swallowed. Very sweet. Not unpleasant.

Thinking nothing of their proximity, Jo sidled closer, until they were inches apart. She carefully extracted the spoon from Meg's willing grip, and tried more of the unusual breakfast item.

The closeness was nothing new for Jo, as her and her men had shared food, wine, weapons and more during their travels. The closer a group of people, the better they fought, Jo knew. Personal space was something that never really crossed her mind much.

Meg could barely keep her hands from shaking as her and Jo passed the spoon back and forth, saying nothing as they shared their first meal. Literally. Everything was so strange to her, she thought. Having someone else to take care of, to think about, to be included in her day's plans, to be kept in mind as she moved around the house. It was interesting.

They ate slowly, neither willing to rush the eating experience for their own personal reasons, as Jo got used to the different kind of food, and Meg got used to having someone else around.

All too soon, Jo scraped the spoon against the bottom of the ceramic bowl, coming up with only a few drops of milk and a lonely Froot Loop, which she popped into Meg's mouth. Caught slightly off guard, Meg said nothing as the wet piece of cereal was pushed into her mouth. She barely chewed it before swallowing. She couldn't look Jo in the eye now; she was too embarrassed. Instead, she gently stepped to the side to escape Jo's close proximity, before placing her bowl in the sink.

"F-finish up your milk, we have to go out soon." She said. "And our first order of business is to get dressed."

Meg quickly gestured at the half full glass of milk sitting on the counter as she walked by, exiting the kitchen. A quick glance over her shoulder told her that Jo was obeying. A sigh escaped her as she made her way to ber bedroom, but it was followed swiftly by a smile. She couldn't get mad at the girl, she barely knew what Meg wanted from her.

Meg pushed open her door, and immediately saw the blood-soaked sheets. She grimaced, and averted her eyes. She would need to clean that up before she left. But for now...

She moved over to the closet, and threw open the two sliding doors. Not only did she have to decide what _she_ wanted to wear, but also pick out something decent for the other girl. Humming softly to herself, she browsed casually through her clothes. She was often a fan of brash, in-your-face extreme colored clothing. Neon greens, oranges, multi-colored bluish-purples, it didn't matter. If it stood out, she would wear it. Now, though, she feeling self-conscious about her choice of clothing. She wasn't sure why, but she had a feeing it had to do with the arrival of Jo. Despite having bigger breasts, seeing Jo's body had really cut down her morale, and self-esteem. She no longer wanted to draw attention to herself with the flashy clothing. Especially when she knew that right beside her would be an even more attractive woman. Not that she wanted all the attention, but...

Pushing those thoughts aside, she pulled down two shirts and threw them on the bed. She grabbed a pair of tight jeans down for herself, and thought for a second what would suit Jo. She had a feeling that Jo would look really good in a pair of shorts, with her tanned toned legs, but this weather wasn't appropriate for that. Humming for a second, she got a pair of black yoga pants. She could wear those.

She quickly dressed in her own clothes, slipping into her jeans before walking over to the mirror. She pulled a black shirt over her head, and flicked out her hair.

"Jo!" She called, knowing the girl could hear her in the small apartment. "Come in here, and put your clothes on!"

She didn't think Jo would understand much of what she had said, but if she caught the word clothes, then she should have a decent idea.

A few seconds later, and Jo was poking her head in the doorway, a questioning look on her face. Meg pointed to the clothes laying on the bed, and Jo nodded her understanding.

Picking up a brush, Meg slowly ran it through her hair as she watched Jo get dressed in the reflection of the mirror. She wasn't sure why, but the long, messy silver-haired girl was captivating. She attracted Meg's gaze like no one else, and she didn't know why.

Humming softly to herself, Meg idly wondered if Jo would let her brush her hair. It had to be full of tangles and knots, Meg thought, staring at her.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Jo suddenly straightened, turning around and staring her in the mirror. Meg's heart skipped a beat as she gazed into those captivating red eyes, and for a second she couldn't make herself look away, no matter how hard she tried.

"I am ready when you are, Meg."

Meg said nothing; after a moment, she forced herself to look away. She could feel a blush rising to her cheeks for a reason she couldn't understand. It was hard to ignore, but she tried as she straightened the few things cluttering up the small stand near her mirror.

Meg turned around when she felt the heat fading from her face, and motioned toward the door.

"Come on, let's hit the library. I want to figure out what the hell you're saying."

...

Sei looked up at the strong knocking on her door, and she slid a few papers into a folder, closing it.

"Come in." She commanded. Immediately, two males in business suits entered, one carrying a briefcase.

"Ah, gentlemen, glad you could make it." She said. She gestured for them to take a seat across from her desk.

"Mr. Higurashi, Mr. Morioka, unfortunate that we need to meet once more under these circumstances." She nodded to each of them.

The first man, without the briefcase, nodded in return. "Well, Sei, these things happen. Mr. Morioka and I shall see to it that we have a prompt resolution."

Sei picked up a pen and scribbled a few things on a pad in front of her, then unconsciously began to spin it around her fingers.

"The subject that escaped has caused considerable damage to our facilities, and as well represents a loose end that must be tied up. We need her found, contained, and returned to where she came from. How this happens, is up to you two. By the end of today, I want a list of viable options regarding tracking, securing, and returning the subject." She said.

They both nodded, as Mr. Morioka pulled up his briefcase. He set it onto her desk, and popped the clasps. Pulling out a file, he handed it to her.

"Contained in that file, you will find some relevant information regarding all aspects of this operation." He said. "We are pleased that you have turned to us once more in your time of need. We look forward to serving you well."

Sei's pen flipped around her thumb, then was caught momentarily between her thumb and forefinger before twisting around and threading itself effortlessly between her fingers.

"Sorry for the pressure, gentlemen, but this is as rushed as a rush-job can be. Things need to be taken care of, and cost shall not be sacrificed for speedy results. Find her. As soon as you can. Forcibly rip her from her environment, and return her here."

With that, Sei dismissed them to get to work. She had other things to take care of.

As they got up and left, Sei turned back to her computer. She pressed a key on her keyboard, and her monitor flickered to life as the door to her office shut behind them with a quiet click.

Sighing sofly to herself, she navigated to her e-mail inbox. She had countless more meetings on this subject, and neither of them could be skipped. This was quickly becoming a headache, she thought. However, she would not let such a small setback completely ruin her plans. That would be laughable. She would overcome this with crushing ease, and continue on. Of this, she was certain.

A/N: Wow, kinda small, and it took forever. Been busy recently, working on my truck and all, didn't have much time to type. I hope the next chapter is up soon, it should be, if everything goes according to plan. Please review, let me know what you think!


	9. 9 Excerpts of a Warrior

The Path Of Fate - 9

Excerpts of a Warrior

_I stood upon the firm ground, sword clenched tightly in my hand. Blood was pounding in my veins, making me light-headed. Anger coursed through me unrestrained, quickening my breathing. Two moons ago, we had been ambushed. They had been swift and unrelentless, but I expected nothing short of absolute brutality. We were heavily outnumbered, but never underestimate a Viking warrior whose ale had to be forgotten to fend off an attack. They fought well, but fate was on our side as we turned the tide of battle. I myself had slain three in as many minutes, ignoring the dirt and sand kicked up into my eyes as I scuffled with one on the ground. He was much heavier, and stronger to boot, but that meant nothing as I slipped a blade between his ribs. I threw him off of me as his hot blood coated my waist and was helped to my feet by one of my men._

_When the battle was over, two of our friends had lain dead in the dirt. We buried them promptly with their weapons in hand, a tribute to their honourable death. One of those men had been close to me, as close as Gullvieg. His death angered me the most. He was a capable warrior, and I am sure he would have survived if only our enemies had faced us honourably._

_Now, I sipped from a hip-flask full of ale, wiping my chin with the back of my hand as I stared at the men rallying in the distance. The night of our attack, we had recognized the dress of our attackers. We knew who they belonged to. And now we stood here, geared for battle and ready for swift revenge._

_The sun shone brightly high in the sky as our men and theirs faced off with a hundred feet between us. The terrain was flat, barren earth with patches of browned grass. _

_A snarl escaped my throat, savage and unrestrained as I raised my sword into the air._

_"Slay every one of the cowardly bastards!" I roared, beginning my charge toward the ranks of the enemy. I could feel my fellow warriors behind me, lusting for battle just as I was. A short second later, the enemy broke into a run as well. My eyes narrowed as I raised them to the sky, ignoring the glare of the sun as I looked for airborne arrows. It wasn't long before the sound of whipping air was heard as a volley of arrows was released into the air. I continued to run at a breakneck pace, eyes on the impending arrows. They seemed to hover in the air for a second, before beginning a deadly fall to earth, picking up speed until it was impossible to see them._

_All around me, arrows embedded themselves into the ground, and I heard them bouncing off the armor and shields of my warriors behind me. I myself carried no shield. I left it up to fate and luck as I charged the enemy. A few arrows came too close for comfort, but when the deadly rain ended, I remained unscathed. _

_Our charging forces met with a clash of hardened steel, and I screamed a warcry as I thrust my sword straight into the gut of the man in front of me. His eyes widened, but I had no time to watch him slowly die as I ripped my sword out with a fury. From the corner of my eye, I saw a lance thrusting toward me. I spun, knocking the tip away as I drew my axe. I brought it down hard, splintering the wooden weapon with ease. My sword came around and slashed the throat of the weapon-less attacker, a laugh erupting from my throat as blood sprayed into the air. I felt flecks of warm blood splattering onto my face, hands and arms, and I spun around, looking for another enemy. I locked gazes with a big, brutish looking warrior, and he grinned as he saw that I was but a female. I smiled in return; his underestimation of me only served to bring about his death much quicker._

_He raised a sledge-hammer; a big, crushing stone head affixed to a long wooden shaft. He did it one-handed. In his other hand, he idly twirled a morning star. I swallowed dryly, and crouched. There was no way this bastard was going to take me down._

_The sledge-hammer fell from the sky at a breath-taking pace. I threw myself to the side, eager to keep my brains inside my skull. It was, however, the reaction anyone would take to such a weapon, and he was expecting it. I hoped my predictable response wasn't my downfall._

_I blinked sweat from my eyes, as I hit the ground on my side. He raised his morning star, giving it a few twirls, before lunging toward me, swinging the weapon with deadly force. I grimaced, and grabbed a handful of dirt. As I rolled out of the way, I flung it into his face. _

_As I got to my feet, I retrieved my axe that had fallen to the ground a few feet away. All around me I could hear the sounds of battle raging, but patiently I waited. I wasn't so cowardly and dishonourable that I would kill a blinded man, but I would do anything to save my own life._

_He straightened up, blinking the dust from his eyes. I could see tears streaming down his face, but I paid them no heed. I tightened my grip on my axe, and crouched low. Who knew how he would strike next?_

_I raised my sword, and his eyes widened. I wondered what could have caused such a reaction in him; I hadn't even moved yet. A split second later, and I felt a piercing pain in my back. Immediately, my legs numbed, and I fell to my knees. My face must have been one of shock; pain and numbness overrode my entire nervous system as I fell face-first into the dirt._

_Groaning in pain, I slowly rolled over into my back. I could barely feel warm wetness slowly spreading down my back, but that was furthest from my mind as I tried to raise my sword to protect myself._

_My arms were weak; shaking, as I tried to find my enemy. A man came into my field of view with a bloody sword, and by the depth of the blood on his sword I could tell the strike would prove fatal unless I got help. In the middle of this battlefield...there was no hope._

_I grinned, despite the numbness that completely enveloped my lower body. This was what I had been living for. A glorious battle. I had been in many, and had taken my rewards. I have slain many men and women alike, raided villages, burned them to the ground, and destroyed much._

_The man raised his sword, the bloody tip clearly aimed for my throat._

_My grin widened. I have fought well. It was time to die, then. My rewards in Valhalla would be many. I could not wait to meet the men I had lost. We would laugh, drink ale, and remember the times long gone where we ruled over all with an iron fist and a bloody blade. No one could stand in our way. We were the strongest._

_The sword came slashing down, and I stared my enemy in the eye. I would not close my eyes._

_This is who I am. I am a warrior, and I will take my death like a warrior should._

_A/N: Excerpts of a Warrior will be little chapters that don`t really have much to do with the storyline, but will detail thoughts and memories of Jo, and little snippets of Meg and Jo`s life._


	10. Chapter 10

The Path Of Fate - 10

Meg held open the library door for her new friend, and the silver-haired girl walked through. Meg followed close behind, and motioned for Jo to follow her as she took the lead.

"We'll go see if the librarian can help us, point us in the right direction." Meg began walking toward the librarian, and Jo followed closely behind her.

"Hey Carlie, how are you?" Meg greeted, waving. The girl looked up at her voice, then smiled. "Hey Meg, I'm great, how are you?" She asked. She closed a book she had been reading and set it aside.

Meg brushed some hair away from her face, leaning over the counter and placing her chin in her palm.

"I'm good." She said. "Hey, listen, I got...a bit of a problem." She said. Carlie's eyes flicked to the girl standing behind Meg, and her eyes widened at her feral appearance. Long sliver hair, slightly furrowed thin eyebrows over deep, dark red eyes.

"Y-yeah?" She asked. "Is it...?"

Meg caught her meaning, then laughed, waving a hand at her. "Don't worry, she can't understand anything we're saying. And yes, she's kinda the problem. To be more exact...the lack of communication is the problem."

"Is she mute? We have books on American Sign Language if you like." She suggested.

Meg shook her head. "No, she can speak, just, not our language."

Carlie quirked a shapely eyebrow at her. "What language is it? Can't you tell?"

Another shake of the head, red hair cascading down over her shoulders.

"None I've ever heard. But then again, I'm not the most cultured. Perhaps you know more?"

Carlie offered a crooked grin. "Sorry, language isn't my strongest point." She said. "However, down aisle seven, you will find tons of books on languages."

Meg hummed. "Alright, we will give them a try. Thanks!"

Carlie nodded, and turned back to her computer. She then seemed to remember something, and held up a hand.

"Oh! Also," She said as Meg turned back toward her. "If you have no luck, just make a video of her speaking her language, and throw it on the internet. Some internet language buff will probably be attracted to it, if not by the language itself, then by her tight little body, and you should have a few answers within a couple days."

Meg's eyes lit up, and she nodded. "That's a perfect idea!" She said. "NIce one, Carlie!"

Carlie threw her a mock salute, and grinned. "It's what I'm here for. Feel free to use me all night. After nine though, I close, and if you want some, you gotta pay." She raised her eyebrows suggestively, and there was no way Meg could ignore the sexual connotations in the sentence.

Meg laughed, and waved at her as she headed toward aisle seven.

"That's a first from you, Carlie!" She chuckled. "I'll talk to you in a bit."

With that, she disappeared into the aisles, Jo following behind her. She slowed as she entered aisle seven, and scanned the shelves to either side of her. It wasn't until the middle of the shelving that she found what she wanted. Stopping, she kneeled down and began reading the spines of the books. Tilting her head slightly, she scanned the titles.

A few minutes later, and she was slightly disappointed. It seemed the language section was limited to a variety of "How to learn..." books, and didn't hold anything of value that could diagnose what language Jo was speaking. Meg wasn't sure what kind of book that would be, exactly, but she was hoping to find at least something.

Sighing, she stood. It didn't seem like there was anything useful here. Maybe Carlie's idea was the most direct method to get the results she wanted?

She looked at Jo for a moment, and the girl stared back, expressionless. Meg had to wonder what was going through her mind at the moment. The entire walk over to the library was fraught with distractions, as Jo stared at everything like she hadn't seen any of it before. Which Meg was beginning to believe she hadn't. She had bared her teeth threateningly as someone whipped by on a bicycle, and shied away uncomfortably from the cars that drove by. At one point, Meg had to take her hand and pull her away from a fruit stand. She had been glaring at the vendor for a reason unknown to Meg, and Meg feared she would lash out at the confused looking man. She quickly grabbed her hand, and pulled her away. She continued to hold her hand until they were about a block away, and only then did Meg feel comfortable releasing her.

A clattering jarred Meg back to reality, and she blinked as she focused her gaze on Jo. Jo was frozen, arm outstretched toward the shelf in front of her, staring down at the pile of fallen books at her feet.

"Jo!" Meg sighed, exasperated. Jo looked at her, and a whine emitted from her throat as Meg scolded her. Meg glared at her for a second, before she softened.

"It's okay, just...try not to wreck stuff." She said. She bent down, and began picking up the books.

Jo watched her pick the books up, wanting to help, but not wanting to touch. She had been curious as to the bound pages of parchment, and when she selected one at random to look through, she was surprised to find that it was jammed tightly in the shelf, compressed by all the other books placed on the shelf. Not one to back down from a challenge, she gave it a hefty tug, and the resulting cascade of falling books had surprised her.

Just as Meg placed the last book on the shelf, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Straightening up, she pulled it out and saw that it was Kyohei.

_'Hey, what's up? How did things with that chick go? She go home?'_

Meg cast a glance at Jo, then shook her head. She composed a new reply, fingers flying across the keys.

_'No, she doesn't even speak our language. She's...weird. She's with me now at the library.'_

She sent the message, and slid the phone into her pocket.

"Come on, Jo, let's get out of here. There isn't anything useful here."

As usual, Jo didn't understand the words she said, but the tone of voice and gestures conveyed everything she needed to know. She began following the busty red-head as she walked back the way she came.

They walked back to the front desk, where Meg once again leaned across the counter to talk to Carlie.

"Didn't find a damn thing useful." Meg said, shaking her head at Carlie's unanswered question.

"Well! Guess you're going to have to use my brilliant idea, then, eh?" She asked, winking.

"Probably might have to." Meg agreed. "Want to come over later and help out? I don't have a cam." She said.

Carlie stared at her in mock disbelief, then slowly shook her head. "Wow, you really ARE poor, aren't you?" She teased.

Meg waved her hand. "And you still live with your mommy." She replied airily. "I may be poor, but I am free, my friend."

Carlie waved her off, then smiled. "Sure, shoot me a text later and I'll let you know what is going on."

Meg grinned, slapping the counter as she straightened up. "Thanks! See you later."

They left the library, Jo dutifully following Meg as she lead the way. When they reached the sidewalk, Meg was about to take off toward home, when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. When she turned around, Jo was looking at her.

"What's wrong?" Meg asked. Jo rubbed her stomach, and pointed at her open mouth.

Meg raised an eyebrow. "Hungry, again?" She asked. "You just ate!"

A small grumble from Jo's smooth stomach validated her claim, and Meg paused.

She pointed at her own mouth, then shrugged her shoulders, palms held up questioningly. _Eat what?_

Jo hesitated, unsure of how to communicate with Meg. Her dark red eyes met bright blue ones as she struggled to convey her desire. She wanted meat. She was craving it. The sweet food she had eaten this morning was good, but it wasn't proper sustenance. She looked around, wondering if she could find something to point out. Finding nothing, she tried inhaling. A myriad of smells assaulted her, but amidst the confusion, she smelled what seemed like meat. She grinned at Meg, then grabbed her wrist and took off in the direction of the smell.

Meg wasn't dragged very far before they came to a stop in front of a semi-fancy restaurant. Meg hesitated as she looked up at the carefully crafted billboard. She wasn't sure her budget could afford this...

She glanced at Jo to gauge her reaction, and she melted as she saw the hopeful expression across her features. She couldn't bear to say no to her. She would just have to try to make ends meet this month. She rarely ever went anywhere nice anyway...

She bit her lip, unsure, then decided to just do it. She grinned at Jo, and tilted her head in the direction of the restaurant's doors.

"What the hell, let's go get something nice to eat!"

Jo licked her lips, and a grin passed over her face as she strode forward. Meg followed by her side. She would need to do all the talking.

When she opened the large glass doors, they were greeted by a seater. He greeted them politely, and asked them if there were only two in their party today. Meg nodded, as Jo looked all around, taking in every detail. She still had no idea why Jo had led her here. She would have to find out soon, or she would have no idea what to order for her when the time came.

They were led to a small table by the window, and given two menu's. Meg opened hers, and when Jo saw pictures of food on the inside, she immediately did the same. The writing was indecipherable to her, so she quickly flipped through the pictures. A lot of them seemed strange, but one of them caught her eye. It was of a prime rib steak. She eyed it up for a moment, before nodding to herself.

"Meg." She said quietly. Meg looked up at hearing her name, and smiled at Jo.

"What is it? You find what you want?"

Jo pointed to the picture in the book. "I want this." She said. Meg blinked, then nodded.

"That looks so much tastier than my lame salad." She said conversationally, despite Jo not able to understand her.

Jo blinked, then looked back down at her menu. The picure of the meat was slightly different than what she was used to seeing and eating, but it was still obvious what it was. She casually flipped through the rest of the book. She stared at some of the symbols, the writing, but couldn't make sense of it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a man coming over and speaking to them. Unable to understand him and relying completely on Meg, she flipped back to the picture of what she wanted, and kept her finger on it.

Meg and the man exchanged a few words, and she noted that he quickly threw a glance at her, then down at her menu before looking back at his notepad.

A few seconds later, and he walked away.

Meg sighed softly, then smiled at the girl across from her. Life was certainly going to be interesting from now on. That was for sure.

A/N: Any thoughts, comments, criticism is appreciated. Drop me a review, let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!


	11. 11 Excerpts of a Warrior

The Path Of Fate - 11

Excerpts of a Warrior - Part 2

_The warm wind blew my long silver hair around, strands whipping gently across my face and momentarily obscuring my vision as I sat on the edge of the rocky outcrop. I was staring into the setting sun, a rare peace settling over me. I could faintly hear laughter and shouts, carried to my ears by the wind. The village behind me was housing my men as they enjoyed ale and played with the women who served it._

_I ignored them as I contemplated things I usually never did. Four moons ago, I had found a band of travellers on the road. We were low on supplies and decided that we would take what was theirs. We came upon them feeling merciful, offering to trade them their lives for their wares._

_Everything was going good, until she decided to interfere. _

_I don't know why, but the red-headed girl started resisting. I don't even remember where she came from. If she was part of the troop, then I missed her when I was looking them over for weapons. She wasn't important. Now, here she was, telling me I couldn't take their belongings. I laughed at her. I told her that if she continued to resist, we would slaughter everyone she was travelling with. Did she really want their deaths on her conscience? _

_Her fists balled up at her sides, but she fell silent. I told her to move; she was standing in front of me. She did not. She was a head shorter than me, did she really think she could best me in a fight?_

_Intrigued by this fiery girl, I stepped closer. There were no sounds from either my men, or the men we were threatening to slaughter. Everything hinged on my reaction to this insolent child. If I reacted violently, the bloodlust would be triggered, and impossible to stop. My men would descend on these poorly armed travellers like a pack of wolves. It would be over in seconds._

_I stopped, inches from her. Glaring down at her, I reached up and grabbed her face in my hands. She did not flinch away, not in pain, nor in fear.I realized suddenly that she was a very pretty girl. She looked to be about 19 years of age._

_"You've got some spirit, girl. I admire that. But I've seen courage. Right before I thrust my sword through their bellies."_

_She said nothing, but anger flashed in her rebellious eyes. This kind of girl had seen more than her share of trouble, I was betting. She had an attitude, and the willpower to get herself into all kinds of situations. Did she not realize how close to death she was?_

_Tense seconds passed slowly by as I deliberated on the fate of this girl and the men travelling with her. She held my gaze the entire time, determined not to look away. As sure as Odin's beard, I would not._

_With the sun beating down on my neck, the light reflected in her stubborn brown eyes, I felt an impromptu desire that I couldn't quite understand. I fought it, and held back. _

_"Well? Are you just going to stare at me all day?" She asked. Her voice was naturally demure, it seemed, but now it was laced with quiet strength that only hinted at her defiance._

_Slowly, I leaned down until my lips were but inches from hers. Our noses touched, but still I held her gaze._

_It was the first time that sort of desire had ever struck me._

_"As if I would ever kiss the likes of you." Her voice was riddled with disgust. "You take what you want through force, but you will never have me."_

_My face flushed red, even as I straightened. Anger coursed through me. I never asked for much, but the things I did ask for...I did not like being denied._

_A swift backhand sent the girl reeling to the ground, and she could not hold back her yelp of pain._

_I slowly raised my fist to my lips, and licked off the smear of blood that coated my knuckles. I turned around, and walked away._

_"KIll them all." Was my only command. _

_..._

_ I brushed my hair out of my face, and wondered why that day bothered me so much._

_I wanted few things. I had no need for much more than the weapons on my side, and the desire to fight. It was everything to me. It's who I am._

_So when I felt the desire for that strong-willed girl, I wasn't sure what to do. I had seen my men take other girls before, the act itself was nothing new to me._

_The way the sun had lit up her hair, her eyes sparkling in defiance...She was beautiful. And I had never desired another like her._

_In truth, I had seen a bit of myself in her. Strong-willed, defiant, unwilling to give in to anyone else but myself. Often times I had made decisions that could only result in either my death, or retaining my pride. I would let no one strip me of my pride as a warrior. It was one of the few things I had. I would rather die first._

_For only the second time in my life, I fought the tears that threatened to spill down my cheeks. _

_After giving the command to slaughter those people, I hadn't looked back. I didn't want to see her being slashed open, her blood flowing out across the dirt. I had heard her terrified, tortured screams, but even those were hard to bear._

_She was no warrior, I thought, tilting my head back to stare into the sky. Yet she had died a warrior's death. Defiant, standing up for what she wanted. She was more of a warrior than the men who stood silently by, afraid to object for fear of losing their lives._

_The thought of them made me wrinkle my nose in disgust. They were but sheep. Following blindly, doing as they were told. Their deaths bore no loss._

_The girl, however...I don't even know her name._

_I felt my heart ache painfully at the thought. I hoped I would see her in Valhalla one day. I have many things I would like to say to her._

_Standing, I cast one last glance to the dying sun before I turned back to the village. I knew what would dull the edge to the pain in my heart. Tonight, I would drink as I had never drunk before, and for a few hours, I could pretend that everything was okay._

A/N: Hope you guys are enjoying this. The storyline will pick up soon enough, I promise!


	12. Chapter 12

TPOF-12

Meg grinned as her phone vibrated in her hand, and she flipped it open. It was from who she had hoped it was, and it also contained the appropriate response.

_'Yeah, I'm on my way. I'll bring my camera too.'_

Meg quickly keyed in a reply, and snapped her phone shut. Carlie would be here soon, and then they could get some video of Jo speaking. Once that went online, they would hopefully have some clue as to what she was saying.

Jo watched her with a reserved coolness from the other side of the kitchen, leaning against the counter.

Meg hummed softly as she thought about tonight and tomorrow. Tonight she hoped to find out what language she spoke, and tomorrow she had class. It didn't start til ten, and she only had one; it was all she could afford. She was just glad she didn't have to work tomorrow. Leaving this girl home alone for too long seemed like a bad idea.

"You want food?" Meg asked, quirking an eyebrow at the girl. She had a feeling, from watching how the girl ate at the restaurant, that the girl needed a lot of food to stay happy.

"Food?" She asked again, rubbing her stomach.

Jo nodded, pushing off from the counter. Meg smiled, but then was presented with a problem. What to feed the girl...?

She idly pondered the question as she moved toward her freezer. Popping open the bottom drawer, she saw there wasn't much in there except ice, a box of popsicles, and a bag of chicken thighs. Her mouth began watering as she wished she had a barbeque. Damn, that would be good...

Shrugging, she pulled out a popsicle. It was the good kind, chocolate around an ice cream core. She shredded the paper packaging, and took a bite.

From the corner of her eye she could see Jo watching her every move. Turning, she offered the frozen treat to the girl, who took it by the stick gingerly. She brought it to her nose and inhaled softly. Meg had seen her do this already, and she watched her face for any change in her expression. There was none, and she took a bite.

Meg laughed loudly when Jo's eyes widened at the sudden cold, and she almost spit her piece out. Jo began biting at it like a dog, crushing it with her teeth as she flicked it from side to side with her tongue.

Leaning against the fridge, Meg held her sides as she laughed. This girl really was something, she thought. Where she had come from, she wasn't sure, but it was a damn shame that they didn't have frozen popsicles.

She shut her freezer door, she let Jo work on that while she scoured the cupboards for food. She had just bought groceries too.

Grabbing a box of cookies from the cupboard, she suddenly got a fantastic idea. She returned to her refrigerator, and retrieved a nice, cold Monster from it. This was what she had been unknowingly craving all night, she thought. This was perfect.

Motioning for Jo to follow her, she retreated to her bedroom. She wondered if Jo would be interested in watching a movie until Carlie got here?

She jumped onto her bed, and settled in. She patted the bed beside her, and Jo slowly climbed on, moving close to her.

Meg picked up the remotes from the table beside her bed, and turned on her television, then turned on her DVD player. Both things were not actually hers, but items on loan from Kyohei.

Permanent loan, it seemed like.

It wasn't long before the girl snuggled up closer to Meg than Meg thought she would. Their shoulders were pressed together, Jo's head leaning on her shoulder as she silently sucked on the frozen bar.

Meg wasn't sure why the girl was so touchy-feely, but she wasn't going to complain. It seemed as if they were going to be spending a long time together, and it wouldn't be pleasant if Jo was an ice cold bitch.

Slowly the movie began, the black disappearing as colors illuminated the dark room. Meg had no idea what movie was in the player; the last time she had watched a movie was two weeks ago.

Ironically, this movie too belonged to Kyohei. Too poor to rent one, she thought.

The movie hadn't been going on for long when Meg's phone rang. The loud noise jolted Jo from Meg's shoulder, and Meg was surprised at her reaction as she clawed for her phone in her pocket. A quick look at Jo revealed the silver haired girl blinking her eyes rapidly, while yawning, and it was immediately clear that she was probably lightly sleeping when the phone had so harshly interrupted that.

"Hello?" Meg answered.

"Yeah, just parked outside. Let me in!" Carlie's voice on the other end said. Meg grinned, and began wiggling out of bed.

"Will do! See you in a second." With that, she hung up. She moved toward the door, but was stopped by a questioning noise from Jo.

Meg looked back, and raised an eyebrow at the tired-looking girl. The empty popsicle stick was poking out between her soft lips, wiggling back and forth as she bit and chewed on it.

"I'll be back soon. Or you can follow, if you like." Meg motioned. Not waiting for a response, she left the room.

The buzzer near her front door sounded, and Meg hurried over. She pressed the button that released the front door lock, holding it for a few seconds. When she was sure that Carlie had made it in, she released it.

"Time to find out what the hell you're saying." Meg said, rubbing her hands together. As always, Jo merely stared at her.

Meg reached over and gently ruffled her messy silver hair, before turning as a knock on her door sounded.

"Wow, that was quick." Meg said. She opened the door, greeting Carlie.

"What did you do, run up the stairs?" She asked.

Carlie grinned, nodding as she took deep breaths. "Y-yeah, I did, actually." She said. "I'm so excited!"

Meg motioned for her to come in, and she stepped inside. She waved at Jo, then turned to Meg.

"So...she can't understand us, right?" She asked,.

Meg nodded. "Right. I think she understands words like food and clothes, which I've been trying to teach her, but nothing else."

"Well, she did react when you said those two words." Carlie noted, looking at Jo over Meg's shoulder.

"Her eyebrows raised a bit, and she kinda perked up."

Meg laughed. "Probably because I said food. She's a perpetual eating machine, that one."

"Well! Let's get down to work, then!"

Meg grinned, and pointed to the small living room where they would be conducting the video. There was a single chair, facing a head high ledge upon which they would place the camera.

"I've only run into one problem so far." Meg said conversationally, as she took Jo by the hand and led her toward the chair.

"Nnn yeah? And what is that, exactly?"

"Making her talk. She's a naturally quiet girl by nature, it seems, and with no one to understand her here, it doesn't seem like getting her to go on a rant will be an easy task."

"So what we need then, is a vocal reaction." Carlie said thoughtfully.

Meg nodded. "But we can't hurt her, she's incredibly strong, and besides, it is cruel and I don't want to lose the trust she has in me."

Carlie waved it off. "Nah, that wouldn't be good. Um...we need to get an objection out of her, or something for her to protest to." She said.

Carlie set the camera on the ledge, and turned it on. She made sure it was angled correctly, then pressed record.

"Okay, it's on now, just in case she speaks."

Meg suddenly jumped up, pointing a finger toward her room.

"I know! Be right back!"

Meg raced off to her room, then returned a few seconds later with Jo's weapons in her hands.

"Toys?" Carlie asked, confused.

Meg shook her head. "Furthest thing from it, by the looks of it." She replied. "The sword is razor sharp, and the axe is full of nicks and chips. Not to mention the dried-blood-like substance on it."

Carlie blinked.

"You slept in the same house as this person? I'm surprised she didn't kill you and take your possessions."

Meg shrugged. "Yeah...I actually hadn't thought of that." She replied. Before Carlie could reply, she held up the two weapons, facing Jo, making a shrugging motion. "What?" She asked simply.

Jo regarded her with a look, before slowly turning to look at the new-comer. She wasn't sure if she liked this new person or not, but that would have to be decided later. She turned her gaze back to Meg.

"It's my axe, and my sword." She replied. "They are my trusted weapons. I hope you do not plan on doing anything...untoward with them."

Meg grinned, and set them down.

"Whatever she said there, we have on camera." She said. "Should we get her to say more?"

Carlie nodded. "Yeah, at least two or three more sentences."

"How the hell do we get her to speak?" Meg asked thoughtfully.

Carlie grinned, and sidled closer to Meg. "We could just...see what happens." She said.

Meg raised an eyebrow at the slightly older girl.

"What do you mean?"

"Welll..." Carlie said slowly, reaching up and sliding her fingertips down Meg's arm. "I've noticed that she spends a lot of time staring at me. And staring at you. But the way she stares at you is slightly different. Even now she's watching me touch you."

Meg glanced at Jo, and her eyes widened slightly as she saw a feral look on Jo's face. She didn't understand what was bothering her. Perhaps she just wasn't comfortable with Carlie here? The glare she was giving Carlie was a bit unnerving.

"I think she liiiiiikes you." Carlie teased, reaching up and touching the tip of Meg's nose.

"Y-you're crazy." Meg stuttered. "Besides, what does that have to do with anything?"

Carlie shrugged. "It could very well get us the reaction we're looking for." She said.

"What do you mean?"

"If I make a move on you, and she reacts, it should be with a flurry of words. Exactly what we need."

"What are you goi-"

She was caught off guard as Carlie swiftly leaned in, her hand grabbing Meg's wrist.

Jo wasn't sure what they were talking about, but it was clear from the tones of their voices how each was reacting. The unknown girl had a flirty tone to her voice, yet Meg sounded flustered, and unreceptive. She glared at the strange girl, wondering what she would try to do to Meg. She was already in a bad mood being forced to sit in this chair while the other two flitted around her, so it wouldn't take much to aggravate her further.

Her temper was broken when the strange girl forced herself on Meg, grabbing her wrist and cutting her off. Instantly, Jo was out of her chair. She grabbed Carlie's shoulder in an iron grip, and squeezed, letting her finger dig into the side of her neck. Instantly, the girl fell limp, yelping in pain.

"What do you think you're doing to Meg?" Jo roared, spinning the girl around to face her. Fear flashed across the girl's face, and it was a familiar and comforting thing for Jo to see.

"I will not let you hurt the healer who saved my life." She said menacingly.

"Jo!"

Jo turned at the sound of her name, and saw Meg reaching toward her slowly.

Meg said something else, but she couldn't understand her. She didn't relinquish her grip on the girl who had pressed herself on Meg.

Meg slowly moved closer, then gently pressed her hands against Jo's forearm. She said something else in a soothing voice, and Jo slowly pulled away.

Carlie got up, and flashed a shaky grin at Meg.

"That should be about all the vocals you need. Put that online and see what you get." She said.

"Are you okay?" Meg asked. She moved in front of Jo, reaching behind her to press her hands against Jo's flat stomach.

"Oh, I'm fine." The teasing tone once more returned to Carlie's voice. "But now there's no way in hell you can say she doesn't like you!"

Meg was silent as she considered what Carlie was saying.

"I still think you're crazy." She said quietly, after a moment.

Carlie winked at her as she walked to the door. "Well, whatever. Time will tell, you know?"

Meg laughed as the girl slipped into her shoes. "I'll let you know as soon as I get some results. Also, so I can return your camera."

With a wave, Carlie was gone, the door shutting behind her. Meg stared at the door for a second, then sighed. Turning, she looked at Jo, who stared back at her wordlessly.

"I cannot wait to figure out what's running through your mind." She said. She walked over to the camera, and stopped the video recording. It saved, and she snapped it shut.

"Come on, let's go finish that movie."

...

Amy yawned as she reclined in her chair. Today had been an interesting day at work, she thought. Sei had taken her to another lab where she had been assigned as project manager. It really wasn't any different from her last job, she thought. It was ironic. Her job was still to make sure no one screwed up code. Although now, she was reviewing the code to top secret projects.

She sighed as her phone went off, and she dug into her pocket to retrieve it. When she opened it, she wasn't surprised to see that it was a text from Kouta. He was supposed to be meeting her online in a few minutes.

What she saw though, when she opened the text, surprised her completely.

_'Hey. I'm coming down tonight. Can't wait to see you.'_

A/N: Thank you so much for those who left me a review, it's the only way I'll improve. And thank you all who read and follow this story, even if you don't leave me a review. I'm trying to update as fast as I can, but now that parts are starting to show up on my doorstep for my truck, I am quite sidetracked.


	13. 13 Excerpts of a Warrior

The Path of Fate - 13

Excerpts of a Warrior- Part 3

_Meg tossed the book onto the bed, the bag rustling somewhat noisily as it came to a rest. I shook the rainwater out of my hair, grimacing as the old pain in my back flared up once more. It had been bothering me all day. It always did when it rained out, and I had long ago gotten used to it. Yet sometimes, I thought, it was worse than normal._

_I eyed the dry clothes Meg had set out for me, and I tugged at the edges of my current shirt. I pulled it up, and off as I turned around, tossing it to the floor. _

_A soft gasp from Meg made me turn back around, and it took a second before her gaze raised to meet mine._

_"What?" I asked. She had heard this one word enough times now to know what it meant. _

_She wordlessly pointed at my hips. I did not understand; I looked down to make sure there was nothing out of place around my waist. There did not seem to be._

_Raising my head to meet her gaze once more, I was thoroughly confused. She moved toward me, and gently placed her hands on my shoulders, spinning me around. A second later, and one of her hands pressed gently on my lower back, very close to my spine. I winced. It was a very old war wound...I was actually surprised I had survived that one. _

_"It's an ugly scar. Yet a proud one." I said. "I should not have lived from that wound, especially with my mobility intact."_

_She, of course, could not understand. She started pressing gently on the wound, then around it. It was a mix of pleasure and pain, and although I did not vocalize my feelings, she could tell. My muscles tightened when it hurt, and relaxed when it did not._

_Hands on my hips, she quietly guided me to the bed. She motioned for me to lay face down on it, and I followed her instruction without objection._

_Sighing, I stretched out along the soft fabric, closing my eyes. A few seconds later, and I felt her slightly cold hands pressing gently along my lower back. At first, I was tense. I had come to guard my back quite closely; I did not like people touching it. Almost dying would do that, I thought._

_It did not seem as if she had evil intent, though, as she didn't linger too long. Slowly her hands spread to the rest of my lower back, kneading and pressing softly into the taut muscle. It was quite relaxing; I hadn't known I was carrying this much stress._

_I focused on following her hands, talented as they were. They gently slid up and down the length of my back, getting tantalizingly close to my shoulders, before snaking back down to my lower back again. I was sure she was doing this on purpose; a snicker escaped her as I moaned in frustration when she once more flitted away, fingers dancing down my spine._

_She had lulled me into a stupor with her caresses, the silence in the room pulling me nearly into slumber._

_It wasn't long before I felt her slow, gently pressing hands leave my back to climb higher. I could not stop a soft moan from emanating from my throat as her now-warm hands squeezed and caressed my shoulders in a way that I had never felt before. _

_Her hands continued their round trip, going back and forth between my shoulders, upper back, and lower back. It was great relief every time she found her way back down to the old wound near the base of my spine, and I think she knew it as she took her time there, being extra gentle with her caresses._

_The ministrations continued for another half hour, and by the end the pain in my back had dulled significantly. Although, whatever compelled her to do such a thing was beyond me. _

_A peaceful slumber had come over me, and the last thing on my mind before I lost consciousness was that we had never gotten a chance to look at her book._


	14. Chapter 14

The Path of Fate: Chapter 14

Sei slowly crossed her long, slender legs as she took her seat at her desk. Across from her were two sharply dressed men. It was clear they meant business, from the serious looks on their faces, and Sei wasted no time.

"So, what brings you here?" She asked, already aware, yet wanting to establish the extent of the situation's urgency.

"It is simple, Miss Sei. We need to find out who you took, and see what, if any, impact that person may have had on the past. If it was a nobody, then that is fine. However, we cannot risk having someone who played an important part in our history be wiped from the books forever."

"What do you need?"

"Records, transcripts, data logging, coordinates, video surveillance, audio recordings, it doesn't matter. If the person you brought back from the past sneezed, I want to know about it and I want a record of it."

Sei scrawled a few notes down on her pad, nodding slowly.

"Okay. Now, have you two been briefed by the project head?" She asked.

A nodding of heads, perfectly timed.

"Have you received his speech about how we didn't actually go back in time, we just went to a different place in time?"

"Yes. While we find it to be a little over-elaborate, the fundamentals hold true."

"So then, my question is, how can this affect us? Have we actually changed anything in the past that could hurt us today? The two streams of logic seem to collide and offer no explanation."

A curt smile from one of the men. "If a building beside you were on fire, would that worry you, Miss Sei?"

"Yes, of course. There is significant risk of damage to surrounding buildings."

"Correct. You would evacuate, and take every precaution necessary to avoid unneccesary death and damage."

"Of course."

"Well, Miss Sei, there is a building across the street that is on fire right now, metaphorically speaking. While it may not present any immediate danger, the street is not that wide, and the fire throws some very hot sparks. It would make sense to take every precaution available. This is not something we can leave to chance."

Sei nodded slowly, then made a quick note in her book.

"Alright." She said, straightening up and dropping her pen to her pad of paper. "I'll have one of mine box everything up. It will be ready tomorrow morning. We can either deliver it ourselves, or you can pick it up when you see fit."

"We will come after it first thing in the morning." Was the reply.

Suddenly, both men stood, smoothing out their pants.

"Well, we must leave for now, but we trust you will take care of everything."

Sei nodded, and stood. "We are looking forward to doing our best to help you with your search."

Sei followed them to the door, and nodded to them as they left. She shut the door behind them, and returned to her desk.

000

Meg sighed as she transferred laundry from her washer to her dryer. She had put the video online as soon as the movie had ended last night, and she hadn't had a chance to check it yet. She was kind of curious to see if there were any results, but she had to get this work done. She had work tomorrow and wouldn't have time to do this. As she turned the knob for the dryer, she idly wondered what Jo was doing. She had left her in the kitchen, eating food about ten minutes ago. She had been eating pretty quickly though, like she always did, and was probably finished.

She organized a few jugs of laundry soap on the shelf above the machines, then walked out as she headed for the kitchen.

As she rounded the corner, she saw the bowl of cereal she had made for her, sitting empty on the table. The plate beside it was devoid of any trace of the toast it once held. The glass of orange juice was gone. And the young lady who devoured it all had her back to Meg, rummaging through the cupboards, presumably for more food.

Meg was initially irritated that Jo had gone through the cupboards without her permission, but it quickly faded away as she realized that she wanted Jo to be comfortable here, and to feel like a roommate and not a guest.

"What you looking for?" Meg asked, moving closer. Jo cast a look at her over her shoulder, silver hair cascading over her shoulders and down her back, before turning around wordlessly and pawing through the stuff.

"Not like she understands me anyway." Meg mumbled to herself. She brushed past Jo and opened the fridge. Pulling out another cold can of Monster, she cracked the lid and took a sip.

Immediately, Jo looked over, and her nose twitched as the sharp smell of chemicals reached her.

"Want to try some?" Meg asked, noticing her reaction. She held the can out to her, offering.

Jo stared at it, then slowly moved closer. She reached out and took it from Meg, raising it to her nose. She sniffed at it, then wrinkled her nose.

"Just try it." Meg said.

Jo's dark red eyes flashed up to meet hers, then she raised the can to her lips and took a careful sip.

"Good, isn't it?"

There was a clear moment of indecision painted on Jo's face, before she slowly licked her lips and passed the can back to Meg.

"Don't like it, eh? Well, it's not for everyone, I suppose."

Meg took another sip, then walked over to her computer. It was an old thing, barely running. It sat on a cheap desk she had bought from a yard sale. She never shut it off, for fear it would not turn back on.

As she sat down at the desk, she pressed the space bar on her keyboard. The computer screen came alive, color fading in as the tubes warmed up. Yes, she had that ancient of a monitor.

"Time to see what's what on the net." She said. She opened up the browser, and it took a moment to load. When it finally did, she went to the bookmarked forum she had posted the link to her video in, and scrolled through the topics until she found her post.

Surprisingly, there were already three replies. Scrolling down, she found what she wanted.

_-Old Norse_

_-The language of Scandinavia during the Viking age was Old Norse._

_-I agree with the two posters above me, it seems to match what we know about Old Norse language. __The modern languages decended from Old Norse are: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic, and Faroese. Of those, Icelandic bears the closest resemblance to Old Norse._

Meg tapped a nail against her teeth thoughtfully, then opened up a search engine. She ran a quick search on Old Norse, and found out that it was an extinct language. No one spoke it anymore.

_'So the closest is Icelandic, then, eh?' _Meg thought to herself. It shouldn't be that hard to learn. Or at least translate basic sentences. She wondered just how close Icelandic was to Old Norse. Even if she went through the motions of learning Icelandic, would it all have been for naught? Just because it was the closest out of a group didn't mean it was close at all. Just the closest. It could still be miles away from the language Jo spoke.

Another few minutes netted her some promising results. Around 1100 AD, there are records of writing. They were called the Icelandic Sagas and were written in Old Icelandic, a western dialogue of Old Norse. It looked like she was in luck!

Meg quickly scribbled a few notes down on a piece of paper, then jumped up out of her chair.

"Be back in a bit, hang tight. I need to run to the library!"

Meg slipped into her shoes, and headed for the door. This could finally be the key to breaking the language barrier!

She jogged down the hallway, running her fingers through her long red hair as she contemplated waiting for the elevator. It was usually slow.

She ran past it and headed for the stairwell at the end of the hall. Besides, she thought. A little exercise never hurt anybody.

000

Jo stared wordlessly at the door that Meg had just left through. It was clear she had been given a command to stay put, and while she normally would not accept a command from anyone, this was not her dwelling. She was a guest Meg's domain, and as such, she should retain some measure of respect.

A sharp scent caught her sensitive nose, and she looked toward the desk that Meg had been sititng at seconds ago. The strange canister containing a slightly bitter tasting brew sat forgotten on the desk, and Jo licked her lips as she remembered the brash flavour. It was unlike anything she had tasted before.

She moved lithely over to the desk on silent feet, hips swaying side to side with an unconscious, natural grace befitting the warrior. She stopped when she reached the desk, staring down at the can.

She slowly reached down and picked it up. She raised it to her lips, and took another drink. The taste of it was very satisfying, a fact that intrigued her greatly.

Carrying the drink with her, she moved to the couch. It was a very comfy device, and she had taken a liking to reclining on it. It was very peaceful, and provided a nice rest for her ever-sore lower back.

Jo settled comfortably on the couch, sinking into the softness as she took another sip. Once you got used to it, she thought, it was pretty good. In fact, you kind of...couldn't wait to drink more. It reminded her fondly of the mead and ale that her and her men used to make, and she slowly closed her eyes as memories flooded by one by one. They were only a few days old, yet in this foreign environment, seemed older than the flow of time itself.

Another, more fragile memory worked its way to the front of her brain, despite her best efforts to smother it. Her face darkened and her eyes narrowed as she thought of the beautiful, defiant red-head that her men had cut down so ruthlessly on her order.

It was a strange, alien feeling to have, Jo thought, to miss something that she had never had. She had never had that girl. And had never missed anyone more than she was missing her now.

The pain in her chest grew, and Jo fought against it with every aggressive instinct she possessed. It didn't make sense, to feel this way. Especially over someone so insignificant. She wasn't even a fighter.

Jo gritted her teeth, and tried to calm down. She ignored the thoughts swirling around her head, and tried to find something else to think about. Against her will, her thoughts turned to Meg.

A/N: I understand that updates have slowed to a crawl, but I'm doing my best to write during every spare second I get. Thanks to everyone who is sticking with this, love getting reviews from you all.


	15. Chapter 15

The Path of Fate: Chapter 15

Meg hummed happily to herself as she walked down the street toward her apartment. She had found a pretty decent book without much difficulty, and was excited to get home and try it out.

"Ugh, I work later tonight too." She said to herself as she turned over the book in her hands. It looked pretty basic. It was a hardback, dark green in color, with the title across the front in bold black print.

"Jo's going to be pretty excited when I'm able to talk to her!"

She flipped it open and ruffled through the first few pages, but it was merely an introduction to the language. She would have to read it in depth when she got home.

"I wonder what Jo is up to right now anyway?"

Jo stood in the hallway, breathing heavily. Her shoulders heaved with each breath, as she stared at the mess around her. For some reason, ten minutes ago, she had gotten an incredible energy rush. She wasn't sure why, or what for, but she wasn't going to question it. Instead, she had picked up her sword and axe, weapons that hadn't been used in too long.

With a powerful roar Jo swung her axe as she raised her sword. Her axe collided with an overhead light, smashing it out, but she ignored the falling glass as she thrust her sword into the wall in front of her. It sunk in, but then quickly became stuck. Her axe slammed into the wall about a foot above her blade, but that was easy to rip out. With a grunt, she twisted her sword and pulled it from the wall. A series of quick slashes finished off the walled foe, and she spun, searching for a new target.

A hanging lamp caught her attention, and the blood pounded in her veins as she attacked it with a vengeance. A powerful sideways slash from her axe ripped the lamp from the ceiling as she was showered in drywall dust. She blinked it from her eyes as her gaze swept the room.

Spotting the table, she unleased a gutteral growl as she kicked it over, reveling in the sound of splintering wood and breaking dishes.

The carnage continued for another ten minutes, before she came to a halt, breathing heavily as she stared around at the mess she had made.

Still humming, Meg climbed the last set of stairs, reaching into her pocket for her keys. She pulled them out as she walked down the hall, still thinking about the book. Now that the joy of finding the bok had worn off, she had to wonder just how hard it would be to learn a new language. It seemed like such a daunting task.

She stopped in front of her door, and inserted her key into her lock. She turned it, and when it turned with no effort, she realized she had forgotten to lock it entirely.

Pulling out her keys, she twisted the handle and pushed to door open.

"Hey Jo, I got that book tha-" She stopped short when she realized what kind of mess she was staring at as she walked through the door. Looking around, she took in all the damage, trying but failing to find something to say. Slowly she raised her eyes from the floor to meet Jo's dark gaze.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?"

000

Amy glanced at Sei as her phone silently vibrated in her pocket. Sei was turned away from her talking to someone else. Amy quickly snuck it out of her pocket. It was a text from Kouta. He was going to be in town later tonight!

She smiled, and quickly keyed back a response before sliding her phone back into her pocket.

Now she _really_ couldn't wait for work to be over!

"Amy, I have someone bringing over a disk with all the records of everything that happened since the launch." Sei said, turning to her. "I need you to go over it very carefully and see if you can find any hiccups in the programming. Also, you're playing double duty today while you're at it. I want you to be mission analyst, and see if there is anything unusual in the performance of the craft. Not just from a coding aspect, but performance as well. If anything is out of place, I want to know about it."

Amy nodded. She had been brought up to speed via the folder she had been given this morning, and was allowed to sit in her office with pay, and read all the classified documents pertaining to the experiment. Sure, she had had to sign her life away first, but the opportunity to get in on something top secret was too hard to pass up. Especially when Sei made it clear that they wanted her to be a part of this team.

She turned back to her computer and continued reading. So far on her first pass through the basic coding, she hadn't found any mistakes. This was a pretty high budget build, and this looked like a pretty complete version. Obviously it would be upgraded over time if they didn't scrap this program, but it didn't look like any patches or fixes needed to be applied.

She licked her lips as she tabbed to the next page. It was truly a pleasure to see work like this being done, and applied in such an interesting way. She was very happy that she was given the opportunity to come work with Sei and everyone on this project.

"The records disk, Miss Amy."

Amy looked up, and saw a technician in a white lab coat holding a disk in a clear, unlabeled jewel case.

Amy smiled at him, and took it. She popped open the case and took out the disk, inserting it into her computer.

It took a second to boot up, and in that time she let her mind wander.

_I wonder if I'll get any sleep tonight? I really hope not..._

She hummed softly to herself, crossing her legs as a secretive smile curved her lips. A glance at her watched revealed that she had three hours left until quitting time. It couldn't go by fast enough.

000

Meg sighed as she cleaned up the last bits of broken glass. The table had been stood back up, thankfully it wasn't broken. The hanging lamp was busted. Into the garbage it had gone. A new light bulb went into the fixture that she had broken with her axe. A flip of the switch was followed by a relieved sigh as the light flickered on.

She couldn't really do anything about the marks in the walls. She didn't know how to fix that stuff.

She groaned as she thought of what would happen when she got back from work tonight. She hoped she still had a standing apartment.

She moved over to the refrigerator and opened it up. She looked dejectedly inside, then closed it again. Instead, she grabbed a box of cookies from the cupboard and retreated to the couch to relax. She thanked God that she still had the couch.

Jo had stood silently by, guilt clear on her face as she had watched Meg clean. She had tried to help, but Meg had waved her off with a shake of her head.

Now, she stood by the couch and stared at Meg as Meg leaned back. Closing her eyes, Meg ran a hand through her hair.

It was silent for a moment, only the sound of soft, quiet breathing filled the room. After a moment, Meg opened her eyes and stared at Jo.

"Come sit over here. I'm not so mad anymore."

Jo took a hesitant step forward, but was unsure of what Meg had said. Meg nodded, then patted the couch beside her.

Jo immediately came over and sat down beside her. Meg offered her a tired smile, and held out a cookie to her.

Jo accepted it and raised it to her nose, smelling it first before tentatively biting into it.

"They are delicious." Meg said, biting into another. Jo said nothing, but she finished off the cookie with haste, crumbs covering her fingertips and somehow, her cheek.

Meg giggled, and the silver haired girl looked at her curiously. Meg, in response, said nothing and looked away. She turned her attention instead to the clock on the wall and saw that she had to be at work in two hours. She had better start getting ready soon.

She yawned, and snuggled deeper into the couch. First though, she thought, she would relax. She set the box of cookies onto the floor.

Jo copied her movements, but instead of snuggling into the couch, Meg was surprised when the silent girl pressed herself up against Meg, closing her eyes as her head leaned on Meg's shoulder.

Meg said nothing, but she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. The blood was rushing to her cheeks for a reason she wasn't quite sure of, either.

Minutes passed like that in silence, and when it was clear that Jo had no intention of moving, Meg relaxed. She slowly opened her phone, set an alarm for half an hour, then dropped it on the floor. Closing her eyes, she tried to find a bit of sleep. With the oddly comforting feeling of Jo pressing gently against her, it didn't take very long.

A/N: Reviews are always appreciated =3


	16. 16 Excerpts of a Warrior

The Path of Fate: 16

Excerpts of A Warrior

_Meg stared out at the rain streaking down the window, and sighed. She wanted to go outside, but the weather was horrible. She shivered; not because she was cold, but because the thought of having that icy rain streaking down her skin sent chills down her back._

_Silently, Jo came up behind her, and stopped. She stood there for a few minutes, staring out at the rain as Meg did. Jo was sure that Meg hadn't noticed her yet._

_Jo moved silently closer until she was inches from Meg's back. She stared over Meg's right shoulder at the rain, and felt the desire to be outside in it._

_"Shall we go outside?" Jo asked softly._

_Meg gasped at the sound of her voice so close to her ear, and spun around. In response, Jo moved yet even closer, trapping Meg against the wall and the window with her body. _

_"J-Jo?"_

_Jo said nothing as she reached down to take Meg's hand in her own._

_"Come outside and play in the rain with me." Jo whispered, her lips inches from Meg's._

_"U-um..."_

_Jo smirked, and moved away from Meg. She didn't release her hand, and Meg followed her toward the door. _

_Jo was barefoot and couldn't care less, yet Meg tugged her to a stop as she hurriedly kicked into her shoes._

_"Where are we going?"_

_Jo shrugged to indicate she didn't understand. She tugged her white t-shirt down over her black yoga pants, and patiently waited for Meg._

_Once Meg's shoes were on, she straightened up and flicked her long red hair back over her shoulders. She was clad in tight blue jeans, and a black V-necked shirt._

_Jo grabbed her hand once more and pulled her out of the door. Meg followed her as Jo headed to the stairs. She took them two at a time, and Meg tried her best to keep up without tripping._

_All too soon they were at the bottom, and Jo pushed open the door leading to the outside._

_Immediately, they were bombarded by the cold rain, yet Meg was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't as cold as she had thought it would be._

_Never letting go of her hand, Jo slowed down and began walking. Meg fell by her side, and didn't mind so much Jo's soft grip on her hand. _

_Jo walked slowly, head tilted slightly up, eyes on the sky. Whether the upward tilt was due to the direction of her gaze, or merely just the posture of the confident girl, Meg wasn`t sure._

_They took slow, measured paces down the soaked concrete sidewalk. Meg was familiar with the area in the direction they were heading, even though it was directly opposite the way she would walk to get to the mall or library._

_Only minutes passed before the cold rain got to Meg. Shivering, she leaned into Jo. Automatically, Jo put her arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. Meg hummed softly, and closed her eyes. Breathing through her nose, she inhaled the clean crisp scent of rain, and the not-unpleasant scent of damp concrete. Heart beating rapidly, her embarrassed thoughts on the silver-haired girl beside her, Meg slowly slipped an arm around her waist._

_There was no discernable reaction from her and Meg wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. But she wasn't reacting negatively, and that was just fine with Meg._

_By now, her clothes were soaked through. Normally she would be miserable and trembling with cold, but wrapped up in Jo's strong embrace, she couldn't feel miserable. And she had never been warmer. Jo's skin was warm to the touch despite the cold rain and Meg rubbed up against her eagerly. _

_Meg opened her eyes when Jo spoke softly, her foreign language a soft growl in her throat. Meg could feel the rumbling in Jo's chest, and before she could stop herself she reached up to place her palm against her chest._

_Jo stopped mid-sentence to look down at her, rain dripping from her hair and coursing teasing paths down her throat. _

_Blushing furiously, Meg removed her hand and looked away. As she did, she saw where Jo was pointing before she had been interrupted. It was a childrens park, empty in this weather._

_"W-we can go there if you want." Meg said quietly, unable to keep the stutter from her voice. Jo seemed to pay it no attention as she followed Meg into the grassy field._

_Meg was lost in her own confusing thoughts as she led just a few steps ahead of Jo. She had never found herself acting this way with anyone before. It was a bit disconcerting._

_Jo stared at Meg's exposed back, and silently stalked forward. She crept closer, a grin spreading across her face as she slowly reached out._

_Meg was caught off guard when a hand snaked around her waist, another coming around the side of her neck to cover her mouth and cut off the scream building in her throat. she felt a body pressing up against her back, then before she could react, she was thrown to the ground._

_She tensed up as she saw the ground rushing up at her, the wet grass not looking nearly as soft as she would have previously thought. She squeezed her eyes closed and awaited impact, but when it came it was much softer than previously assumed._

_When she opened her eyes, she was staring into Jo's dark red orbs. A playful smirk had graced her sleek lips, and Meg couldn't help but stare at them. They seemed to invite her, and she couldn't resist..._

_Just as she had begun to lean in, Jo was moving again. Within seconds Meg found herself on her back, arms pinned above her head, Jo straddling her waist and staring down at her._

_The cold rain-soaked grass on the back of her neck only served to intensify the heat spreading between her legs as she stared up at the beautiful girl. Jo's strong hands gripping her wrists and restraining her was turning her on like she had never been before, and it was a strange sensation. Panting softly, eyes half-lidded, Meg gently pressed up with her hips._

_Jo's eyes widened in response to the movement, and for a second she lost her focus. Meg surprised both Jo and herself by twisting over and pressing up with her hips, unbalancing Jo and throwing her to the side. Meg quickly positioned herself on top of Jo, grinding softly with a slow movement of her hips. The desire was too strong for her to ignore, and she leaned down, intent on kissing Jo._

_Jo reached up and slipped her fingers around the back of Meg's neck, pulling her down. Meg didn't resist, and closed her eyes as their lips drew closer._

_With her eyes closed, Meg was unprepared for Jo to suddenly roll over and throw her to the side. Yelping, Meg skidded across the wet grass, eyes flying open as she reached out to steady herself on the wet ground._

_Within seconds, Jo was on top of her once more, and now she wasted no time. Leaning down, Jo gently stroked Meg's cheek with her thumb as she closed the distance between them. Meg's fingers clawed desperately at Jo's hair, tangling in her damp silver locks as she pulled Jo closer._

_All around them, the rain pounded down. To the two girls laying in the field, it fell unnoticed._

_000_

_ Much later, they returned to the apartment. They were both soaked through, but neither minded. Meg absent-mindedly picked up a book in a plastic bag, and considered it for a moment. Looked like language wasn't the only way to communicate, she thought, licking her lips. It seemed she understood Jo more this way anyway. A smirk crossed her face as she tossed it aside. She turned to look at Jo, who smiled at her as she shook the rain-water from her hair. _

_A/N: I like how neatly this ties in with chapter 13. As you can probably tell, the 'Excerpts' chapters aren't in chronological order, and have little to do with the storyline. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did. The supposed kissing scene was left out for a reason. :) Drop me a review, tell me what you think. May come back to this one and give it a slight re-write. I wrote this pretty late at night while extremely tired, and it is probably rife with mistakes. Let me know if you spot any._


	17. Chapter 17

The Path of Fate: Chapter 17

The sky was darkening as evening fell over the city. Someone, somewhere, was smiling as he stared at his computer screen. It looked promising. Clicking on the link, he waited for the page to load.

The wind outside the window howled by unnoticed as the man skillfully navigated his way around the internet. The well lit room was empty save for himself, and the silence was preferred.

"I think we may have something here." He said to himself. He clicked 'play' on the video, and it took a second to load. Once it did though, the images shown brought a full grin to his face.

"Excellent!" He turned the speakers up a bit as a foreign language erupted from the ferocious girl shown in the video.

"I think we have her." He said to himself. He hunched over, and leaned closer to the co mputer as his fingers flew over the keyboard. "Now, to find you. Which will not be very hard at all, if the poster of this video was dumb enough to fill in their information without lying, and even worse, make it available to the public..."

000

Amy's heart skipped a beat when she heard a knock on her door. She jumped up out of her seat, then straightened her clothes. She hurried to the door, but then paused in the hallway to check herself over one more time. Everything seemed in place. Her tight blue jeans hugged her curves quite deliciously, and her strapless red shirt emphasized her chest while clinging to her curved shoulders.

She fixed a few strands of hair, her twin ponytails long and straight. Another knock at the door, and she pulled herself away from the mirror. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself before she opened the door.

"Hello?" She asked, peeking around the edge.

The dark-haired Kouta grinned back at her from the other side of the door. "Hi." He said softly. "How are you?"

Even though she knew it was him; was expecting him, her eyes still widened as her pulse skyrocketed.

"You're finally here!" She exclaimed, flinging the door wide open. He held his arms out, and she willingly threw herself into them. He hugged her tight around her waist, even picking her up off her feet for a second. She hugged him just as tightly, glad he had made it.

"Come on in. You must be tired. You want anything to drink?" She asked, taking a step back and motioning him inside.

He followed, slowly kicking off his shoes as he entered.

"Uh, just water will be fine, thanks." He said. She nodded happily and moved to the kitchen as he looked around. Wires were draped everywhere, snaking in every direction, but they had their own unique messy-yet-still-organized feel to them.

"So how are you?" He asked, raising his eyes to the ceiling. The sound of running water reached his ears, then silence shortly after.

"Just great! Yourself?"

"Not too bad." He replied.

"How was traffic coming up?" She asked.

He rolled his eyes as she reappeared in the hallway with a glass of water.

"Busy as hell." He said as he took the glass. He raised it to his lips and took a long drink.

"Although it wasn't as bad as the last few times I've made the drive."

Amy motioned for him to follow her into the livingroom.

"You've had to come up here before?" She asked, curious. Her sharp analytical mind immediately covered all possibilities.

"Yeah, for work." He said. "They like sending me out of town on projects specifically because I don't know anyone here. It keeps me from getting side-tracked. I do my business then I go home."

Amy indicated a spot on the couch, then sat down. "Yet this time is different?"

Kouta shook his head as he sat down beside her, a few inches away.

"I haven't told my boss that I was taking time off work to come into town." He said. "If I did, he would probably pull me off all future projects."

"Why, though?" She asked, interested. "It seems like such a weird thing to do."

"Well, we get an allowance for every day we are out of our town and into another one. Sorta like a living allowance. Anyway, to minimize costs, the company tries to send people who will just go, do their work, and come home. If you waste time visiting, then that costs the company, and they don't like that." He said.

Amy nodded her understanding. "Ah, okay. So I'm your little secret then." She said, biting her lip. Kouta smirked at her.

"You sure are, babe."

Wordlessly, Amy moved so that she was straddling his lap, before leaning down and kissing his cheek.

"Well then, what should we do tonight, hmm?"

He grinned at her as his hands found her waist. "I don't know, let's see where the long night takes us."

000

It was some time later when Kouta quietly stepped out into the hallway, shutting the door behind him as he walked a few steps down the hall. Once he was a few meters away from the door, he pulled out his cell phone. Amy was sleeping anyway, but there was no point taking chances. He flipped open his phone, and checked his messages. He had two.

_'Commence the discussed plan as soon as you arrive. There is no time to lose. -Boss.'_

_'Update e-mail inbox or telephone with a status report as soon as you are able. -Boss.'_

Kouta snapped his phone shut, and sighed. Sometimes he hated having a boss that liked to stay up all night. He opened his phone again, and pressed speed dial number 2 on his phone. Immediately, he began calling his boss.

It had only rung three times before it was answered. "Hello?" Said a sharp, alert voice.

"Hey boss, it's Kouta. I got your messages, calling in with a status report."

"Go ahead."

"Okay, landed in town a few hours ago, and I haven't uncovered much of anything tonight. I'm about to call it a night, and I'll resume the search tomorrow."

"Very well, I expect you'll have news for me. Call me tomorrow when you find something."

Kouta snapped his phone shut, and sighed. Slipping it back into his pocket, he padded softly toward the door. Opening it slowly, he let himself in before shutting it tightly behind him. Amy was curled up on the couch. She was sleeping lightly, her chest slowly rising and falling with each breath.

He didn't want to bother her, but he didn't want to leave her here either. Gently shaking her shoulder, he woke her up and lead her to her room.

"Mmm, you coming to bed with me?" She asked, as she rubbed her eyes. He smiled down at her. "Sure thing. I'll sleep next to you all night long, babe."

She put her arms around him and held on tight. "Good. I'm glad."

She pointed at which room was hers, and he opened the door. The lights were off, and it was black inside.

"This way to the bed." She whispered. She shut the door behind them, and darkness enveloped them completely.

Kouta wondered for a second if Amy was going to flick on the lights, but realized what she was doing as she gently pulled him in the direction of the bed. He shuffled slowly. He did not want to hit his toes on an unseen object, or run into the corner of a dresser or something.

They made it to the bed without incident, and they collapsed together on it. Amy immediately pulled the covers over them both, as she snuggled up close to Kouta.

"Mmm, good night Kouta. See you tomorrow morning." She kissed his chest, then his cheek, then finally his lips before she laid her head on his chest.

He smiled as he ran his fingers through her hair. "Good night, babe."

000

Meg awoke early, yawning as she stretched over to shut off her alarm before it went off. She had grown accustomed to waking up a few minutes before her alarm, and now she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood. She stretched once more, before making her way to the door. She paused as she reached for the handle. It was open slightly. She remembered closing it last night. Weird. Had Jo tried to come into her room?

She pulled the door open wide enough for her to slip through, and tip-toed through the apartment. She wracked her brain furiously as she made her way toward the ktiichen, trying to figure out if she had locked the door last night.

Deciding that she had, she slipped into the kitchen and looked around. Jo was usually here, eating quietly. Yet she wasn't.

Meg sighed, and moved quietly to the front door to double-check that it was locked. To her surprise, it wasn't, and was also ajar.

"How long have I been sleeping in here with the door to my apartment wide open?" She asked herself. She quickly walked over, and closed it. She locked the handle, and turned around. The apartment was too small to hide in, so she didn't think there was anyone in here. Jo, however, was missing.

Meg walked back to the kitchen, and decided to calm her mind by making breakfast. She had class later today. A sigh. She wondered where Jo was.

000

Jo had left early in the morning, before Meg had awoken. She was restless; many thoughts plagued her mind and sleep was impossible. Slipping out of the house on silent feet, she emerged under the moonlit sky with a yearning in her heart for the wilderness she had been torn from. She missed her horse. She missed her men. Mostly, she missed the feeling of riding into the night, the crisp air chilling her skin as she prepared to wage war on an unknown enemy.

As she walked, she was careful not to lose track of all the turns she took during her wandering. She wanted to be able to find her way back. It was a valuable place of food and shelter, and she could not turn her back on it.

She raised her eyes to the sky, but the stars seemed dim and far away. Muted. Out of reach. Her eyes narrowed as she continued walking. This strange environment was unsuited to her. It was a cage, ensnaring her and holding her wild spirit hostage. What the price would be to go back home, she wasn't sure, but she desperately wanted to find out.

She felt well and truly naked without her weapons, but she had seen no others carrying weapons in this land and it seemed inappropriate to do so. Even so, she could fight just as well with her hands if need be, and had no problem choking a man to death or snapping his neck if he got arrogant with her.

Before she was ready, streaks of light began breaking up the darkness she was seeking solace in. Her brow furrowed, and she began retracing her steps back home. Soon, the countless humans would flood out of hiding as if chasing the rising sun, and it would become an unbearably noisy environment.

Yes, best to go back to Meg, and focus on learning the native language here. Then, she could gather information and possibly find her way home.

A/N: Sorry about the super long updates _this_ time. My brilliant excuses: Got terribly sick, and besides that, the freaking internet was down. Ah well, this story is far from dead. Reviews, comments, criticism, all welcomed whole-heartedly.


	18. Chapter 18

The Path of Fate - Chapter 18

Amy awoke yawning loudly, stretching. For a second she laid there, eyes closed, before she realized that Kouta had come over last night.

Her eyes shot open, and she rolled over to face him. As she did, she was caught by surprise as his strong, alert gaze met hers.

"H-how long have you been awake?" Amy asked quietly.

He smirked at her, before reaching out and stroking her cheek. Immediately she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. She was about to press her question, when he responded.

"Not long actually. Just a few minutes before you."

Amy moved closer to him, pressing her body against his.

"You going to come shower with me?" She asked, a playful tone in her voice.

He hummed softly to himself, not answering.

"Pleeease?" She whined softly.

Another smirk. "I would love to." He said, before leaning forward and climbing on top of her. Amy reached up to grab his shoulders and pull him down for a kiss, but he leaned back out of her reach. He grabbed her wrists, and pinned them down on either side of her head.

"Easy, girl." He said. "Don't get too excited."

"But I wan-" She was cut off as he leaned down, pressing his lips firmly against hers. Immediately her protest died, and she closed her eyes as she enjoyed the kiss.

It didn't last quite as long as she wanted, but that was okay. She had a few questions to ask him.

"I have to go into work for a few hours today," She said, arms still pinned down by his strong grasp. "But I might end up staying the whole day if it looks like I have a bunch of stuff to do. What are you going to do today?"

He shrugged, and leaned in close to smell her throat before gently trailing kisses down her neck. "It just so happens I have a few things to take care of myself." He whispered.

Amy moaned quietly, before speaking again. "But I will see you tonight, right?"

He kissed her throat once more, then gently nipped at her jaw-line, before pulling away.

"Of course you will."

000

Meg sighed softly to herself as she turned the page in her book. She was aware that she had retained nearly none of the information she had been reading in the last forty-five minutes; she was looking but not seeing. Her mind was on other things. She couldn't focus on studying when her thoughts were being consumed by Jo.

Meg was worried. It wasn't like Jo to be missing in the morning when she woke up, and now it was the only thing she could think about. It bothered her. She wanted to know that Jo was safe, and was coming back.

Another sigh. There was no point in reading. She wasn't retaining any information. Meg slammed the book closed, earning herself a glare from the two other people at her table. She ignored them, and pulled out another book. This one was much more relevant, she thought. It was the book she had checked out earlier, the one that was going to teach her how to speak Jo's language.

She opened it up to the first page, and read through the introduction. It basically gave her some background information on the language and a few hints on pronunciation.

She flipped to the next page, and began reading. She was determined to be able to talk to Jo someday.

000

Kouta left the apartment shortly after Amy did. He stretched as he paused outside her door. She hadn't left him a key, and she knew he was leaving, so...

He made sure the door was shut tight, but left unlocked. He had to wonder if Amy always left her door unlocked, considering the nature of her work, and the expensive computers she had sitting inside.

Shrugging, he made a mental note to ask her later as he walked away.

When he reached the guest parking lot, he pulled out his keys and unlocked the drivers door to his gun-metal grey 1992 Nissan 240SX.

Sitting in the custom seat, he shut his door and pulled out his cell phone. He had his boss' number on speed dial, and he answered on the fourth ring.

"Hey, what's the plan Kouta?"

Kouta put his keys in the ignition, but didn't start the engine yet.

"Hey boss. Right now I'm just going to go over and do some footwork at ground zero." He said. "See if anything turns up, but I doubt it will. Then I'll get down to business."

"Okay, keep me updated."

"Will do." Kouta snapped his phone shut, and tossed it into the center console. Throwing in the clutch, he whipped it into reverse before expertly releasing the clutch about an inch. Immediately, the high performance clutch grabbed, and his car began rolling backward.

There was a dip in the ground where the asphalt met a drain, and the front lip of his car scraped against the ground as he maneuvered out of the parking space.

Ignoring it, he shifted into first and carefully pulled away, doing his best to avoid the uneven spots that would cause his car to bottom out even more.

Once he was on the street, he turned in the direction of his target and pulled away. Despite his destination, he really hoped he wouldn't run into Amy. That would produce a lot of hard-to-answer questions. Questions he wasn't sure he could answer.

000

Meg closed the book quietly, then closed her notebook and set it aside. She already had nearly three full pages of notes and examples regarding the language. She was actually proud of herself.

Meg idly wondered what Kyohei was up to as she stuffed her books into her backpack. Perhaps she should invite him over for supper tonight? She pulled the drawstrings tight, and slung the pack over her shoulder as she stood. She picked up her pen and pencil and slid them into her back pocket as she kicked her chair in with her foot.

Walking to the front, she waved goodbye to the librarian.

"See you later!" She said.

"Have a good one dear."

Stepping out into the afternoon sun, she immediately began heading home. She was anxious to see if Jo was there or not.

It was a short walk, and she passed the time by texting Kyohei. He seemed interested in coming over later tonight, which was good. If Jo wasn't there, she needed something to take her worrying mind off her. Sure, she could go out and look for her, but it wasn't like the girl was in any real danger. She certainly seemed more than capable of taking care of herself, and the kind of person who wouldn't be found by anyone if she didn't want to be found.

Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't realize where she was until she was turning the door handle to her apartment. Shaking her head, she stepped in and closed the door behind her. She had left it unlocked in case Jo found her way back home, and it had still been unlocked when she had entered.

Kicking off her shoes, she walked to the couch and threw her backpack on it. With a sigh, she turned around to move into the kitchen.

Dark red eyes met her gaze, and her heart nearly stopped before she realized who was sitting at the kitchen table watching her.

"J-JO!" Meg said, hand flying to her chest. "You're back!" Her heart was beating wildly in her chest; seeing someone sitting at her kitchen table out of the corner of her eye as she had turned around had scared her quite a bit. It was only Jo though, and now the silver-haired girl stared unblinkingly at her as she ate from a bowl of cereal.

Meg slowly moved over to Jo, her eyes scanning her body for any new cuts or bruises. It appeared that she had none, however, and Meg came to a stop beside Jo. Jo merely looked up at her, waiting for her to speak.

"I know you can't understand me," Meg said softly, staring into her dark, entrancing eyes. "And perhaps that is why it's so easy for me to say this, but you really scared me. When I woke up and couldn't find you, it worried me. I wondered all day where you were."

At this, Meg reached out and gently stroked Jo's cheek with her fingertips. For a second, Meg thought she saw Jo's hard eyes soften, but it could have been a trick of the light. In the next instant, Jo blinked away whatever kindness and understanding that may have been reflected in them, and they were back to their cold, peircing sharpness. She continued to stare at Meg, even as she seemed to nuzzle into Meg's touch.

Meg slowly pulled away, and wondered what had compelled her to do that. It was unusual behaviour for her, she thought, gazing down at the table.

Jo followed her gaze, and saw that she was looking at the table. She must have been looking at her food. Jo stood, spoon in her hand, and startled Meg out of her thoughts. Thinking the girl was hungry, Jo raised a spoonful of cheerios to her mouth.

A smile crossed Meg's face, then she opened her mouth. Jo fed her some cereal, but an unsteady hand and a slightly tilted head resulted in milk droplets running down Meg's throat from the corner of her mouth.

Before Jo could really think about what she was doing, she had leaned down and slipped her arms around Meg's waist. Pulling the red-headed girl close, she gently licked up the trail of dripping milk, before slowly kissing Meg on the mouth. She could hear Meg's cut-off gasp, feel Meg's hands on her shoulders. Meg feebly tried to push her away even as her fingers dug into Jo's toned shoulders in an iron grip, keeping her from moving.

Ignoring everything, Jo tightened her grip around Meg's waist and forced the kiss on her until she began to respond.

Cereal forgotten, eyes closed, it took only a few seconds before Meg relaxed her grip, slipping her hands into Jo's short hair and pressing her body close. Her fingers tangled in Jo's hair, but Jo didn't care as she picked Meg up easily by her waist. Still pressing her lips firmly against Meg's, she turned around and set Meg down on the table. Meg immediately wrapped her legs around Jo's waist and pulled her close. Hands roaming all over Meg's body, Jo didn't break the kiss.

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Reviews are appreciated.


	19. Chapter 19

The Path of Fate Chapter 19

Meg's phone vibrated in her pocket, and the spell was broken. The unblinking gaze she had held with Jo ended as Jo blinked, slowly pulling away. Meg reluctantly unwrapped her legs from around Jo's waist, and followed Jo with her eyes as the silver-haired girl moved toward the couch. Meg was tempted to follow her with a passion she had never experienced before, but it seemed like the moment was lost.

Meg could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest as a sudden realization came over her. She was lonely. Incredibly so. She had been lonely for a while, ever since she could remember.

Trying her best to ignore the aching in her heart, she pulled out her phone and opened it up.

It was a text from Kyohei, saying that he would be over in a few minutes. Meg stared at it for a minute, before offering back a non-descript reply. She got off the table slowly, walking into the kitchen. She had no idea what to make for supper, and would probably turn the job over to Kyohei when he got here.

"Are you still hungry Jo?" Meg asked, looking through the cupboards. There was silence for a minute, and Meg wondered if the girl had heard her. Just as she was about to speak again, she heard a questioning noise from Jo.

Meg turned around and rubbed her stomach. It had become Meg's favourite way of asking Jo if she wanted food. Jo, standing near the table, stalked slowly closer to Meg as she nodded.

Meg could feel butterflies churning in her stomach as Jo approached her. As she looked Jo up and down, it hit her once more just how feral this girl was. The lean muscle was obvious underneath the dark tanned skin.

As she met Jo's gaze, Jo's eyes narrowed slightly as she tilted her head down. The look was enough to send shivers down Meg's spine, as she was reminded how enticing and mesmerizing her eyes were.

Jo's lithe body came to a stop in front of Meg. This time Meg did not hesitate to reach out and place her hands on Jo's hips. She pulled the dark-skinned girl close, practically begging for more.

A swift smirk passed over Jo's face at the eagerness at which Meg pulled her close, and Jo leaned down. She could feel Meg's hands gripping her waist tightly as Jo gently placed her lips against Meg's throat.

Jo wasn't gentle for long. She attacked Meg's neck with a frantic fervor, biting and licking as her hot breath tickled Meg's ear. Her hands caressed Meg's body uncontrollably, sliding around every curve before settling on her waist and pulling their hips together. Meg closed her eyes and tightened her grip on Jo as the girl slid her wet hot tongue down across her collar bone. Jo reached up and grabbed the collar of Meg's shirt, pulling it down to reveal more tantalizing soft skin. Meg gasped, then moaned as Jo's sharp teeth nicked her delicate flesh, cutting her easily. It was at first a sharp pain near her shoulder, but Jo quickly licked, sucked, and caressed until the slight pain faded to gentle pleasure.

Meg giggled as Jo's warm breath tickled her bare shoulder, but her giggles were abruptly replaced with another quiet inhale of breath as Jo reached under her shirt to drag her sharp nails down her lower back.

Meg arched her back sharply, a moan escaping her lips a bit louder than intended. She wasn't used to hearing herself make sounds like that, and it brought a wave of heat to her face, neck and chest.

A sudden sharp knock at the door broke the relatively quiet atmosphere, and Jo instantly froze. Meg's breath caught in her throat, as she remembered Kyohei.

_'Aww dammit! I forgot about him...'_

Part of her felt bad for forgetting, but the other part didn't care.

Meg's eyes met Jo's for a moment, and for a split second, the thought crossed her mind to pretend that she wasn't home. Only for a second though, and then she pushed the idea away.

Sighing, Meg moved away from the counter and Jo backed up. Moving toward the door, Meg paused to straighten her shirt and smooth her hair. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and grinned at Kyohei.

"Hey, come on in." She invited. Kyohei greeted her, and stepped into the apartment. As he kicked off his shoes, his eyes did a quick search of the apartment. His gaze landed on Jo, who was leaning against the wall and staring at him with an unreadable expression.

He raised his hand in tentative greeting, before looking away from her piercing gaze and focusing on Meg.

"C-can she understand us yet?" He asked.

"Not yet." Meg replied, shaking her head. "She knows a few words though." She said proudly. "I taught her."

Kyohei couldn't hide his smile. She almost sounded like there would be someone else who would have taught her.

"What does she know so far?" He asked, coming further into the kitchen.

Meg hummed softly as she ran her fingers through her hair. Her skin was still tingling near her collar bone and shoulder, but she tried to ignore those feelings.

"Uh, she can almost completely understand me if I ask if she is hungry, she knows her clothes, she knows a few types of food as well."

Kyohei raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. Do you know any of her language?"

"Weeell..." Meg hesitated. There were some things she didn't want to share with Kyohei.

"I've learned a few words, but nothing I can put into a sentence. Nothing useful." She said.

"Hey, want to help me cook? I have no idea what I'm doing." She quickly changed the subject before Kyohei could question her further.

"Err, yeah, sure." He said. "What do you have here?"

Meg bit her lip. "I'm not actually sure." She said. "I was kinda hoping you could just look around and work some magic."

Kyohei laughed, and began opening cupboards. "Well, I'll see what I can do, anyway."

"Thanks Kyohei!"

He waved it off, and continued searching the cupboards, pulling down one ingredient after another.

Meg turned and saw Jo leaning against the kitchen door frame, glaring at her with a feral look. For a second, Meg's breath caught in her throat before her breathing returned to normal. She quietly padded over to Jo, and looked up at her.

Jo stared into her eyes with a hard look, and Meg had to wonder if it was because Kyohei was here. Whatever the reason, there was nothing she could do right now to fix the situation. Kyohei was less than six feet away.

Meg glanced back over her shoulder quickly to see if Kyohei was watching, but he was engrossed by the label on a soup can.

Turning back, Meg leaned forward on her tip-toes and kissed Jo on the cheek. It was a quick, fleeting kiss, and she squeezed Jo's hand as she pulled away. A promise for more, later. She really hoped Jo understood.

Ignoring the aching desire in the pit of her stomach, Meg moved back over to Kyohei to ask him what he was making. Still, she could feel Jo's eyes staring at her back.

000

Kouta slowed his car, and pulled over to the side of the road. Car idling, he stared at the building through his windshield for a moment, faintly illuminated by street lamps in the darkness. After a moments' contemplation, he shut his car off. Checking for traffic in his mirror, he slowly climbed out. Shutting his door, he locked it before straightening up and walking slowly toward the building.

Once more, his phone vibrated, as it had a few times during the drive here. He pulled it out and flipped it open. This time it was from Amy.

_'Where are you? It's late :('_

He looked back up at the building, then ducked his head as a cold wind blew around his shoulders and exposed neck.

_'Finishing up work. Be back in a bit.'_ Was his only reply.

He walked toward the front door, and pulled it open. This late at night, most of the lights were off and the building seemed deserted. However, the lights were all on on the top floor, and that was where he wanted to go.

The elevator door was open and waiting for him when he walked past the empty receptionist desk, and he walked inside. Turning around, he pressed the button for the top floor. Immediately, the doors closed and the elevator began moving upward.

He pulled out his phone as it began vibrating again, and flipped it open.

_'What are you doing for work?'_ It was Amy again. He smiled, then closed the phone and put it into his pocket without responding. The elevator doors slid open.

He exited, and walked toward the only door on this floor. It was partially open, and he knocked softly on it. The heavy door didn't move on its hinges under the knocking, but he could hear soft movement from inside.

A second later, and the door was gently pulled open. A tall, beautiful woman greeted him with a sly smile.

"Kouta, it's about time. Come on in."

He entered the office, and stopped, looking around at the ornate decoration.

"This is a nice office." He commented. "Definitely suits you."

"Such a flatterer. Come on in. You're alone?"

"Of course."

"Good. This could take a while." She gently slipped an arm around his shoulders, and pulled him further into the office.

Then, she shut the door fully.

A/N: I'm sorry for the terribly long update time! Life, ya know? As always, reviews are appreciated!


	20. 20 Excerpts of a Warrior

The Path Of Fate - 20

Excerpts of a Warrior- Part 5

_I coughed once more as thick dark smoke filled my lungs. It roiled around, masking everything in my sight except the hungry flames that surrounded me in the distance. Everywhere I turned, I was blinded by the smoke, backlit by distant flames and accompanied by a scorching heat that seared the breath from my throat._

_I was panicking now, short of breath and growing dizzy. I wrapped my scarf more tightly around my mouth, and while it filtered out most of the smoke, the hot air was still severely lacking in fresh oxygen._

_Short, quick gasps of breath rocked my body as I struggled to get enough air to fuel my tired muscles. I cast my eyes to the sky, but it was a pointless gesture. Even if I could see through the clouds of smoke, I would be staring into the endless dark of a moonless night._

_I leaned heavily upon my sword, then gathered my last bits of strength. In one swift move, I rose to my feet. I ignored my laboured breathing, my oxygen starved body, and the pounding in my head. My teeth grit together painfully as I struggled to keep my balance on tired legs. Slowly, I began to move forward. If I could break through the burning ring of flame, I might possibly live._

_I staggered on the hot, barren ground toward a particularly bright spot of flame. It was less than a hundred yards from me, and I was sure I could make it. It was a small hut, and it was closest. Perhaps, just maybe, on the other side of this wall of flame, my salvation awaited._

_I blinked salty sweat from my eyes, so used to the stinging that I barely noticed it. My clothes were soaked through with sweat; my own. As I glanced down at myself, I realized I was also covered in blood. I wasn't sure if it was my own._

_I raised my tired head and looked back at my objective. It seemed closer. And I could still breathe. My spirits lifted a bit, and new-found strength flooded through my limbs. I could do this._

_I used my sword as a crutch, the tip digging into the ground that was hardened by many summers' sun pounding down on it._

_I managed to get within thirty feet of my target, but something caught my attention, and I stopped to catch my breath while I tried to figure out what it was._

_A shadowy figure slowly emerged from the smoke, moving toward me on silent feet. Confused, I blinked a few times. My vision swam sickeningly before clearing, and I realized that the person was near my height. _

_As they drew closer, I began to make out individual details. Whoever it was, they were barefoot. Walking through the fire, stepping on sharp rocks, burning timber, and hot ashes like they weren't even there. _

_I tore my eyes away from the bare feet, and followed the long slender legs up to a bare waist. The rolling smoke kept me from seeing any details, yet the figure drew ever closer. Slow, even, methodical steps pulled the seemingly naked figure closer and closer in a twisted, surreal kind of way. Everything was distorting in the corners of my vision and it was all I could do to focus on what I could now make out as a female. _

_It was a girl. Her breasts, pert and firm, were bare for me to see. Her state of dress made no sense in this environment; confusion ran through my head as I struggled to make sense of what I was seeing. I looked up, as she came to a stop a few feet from me. A slender neck, half hidden by flowing red hair entranced my gaze for a moment, keeping me from studying her face._

_A giggle. It reached my ears, and while it sounded childish, it was hollow. It sent a shiver down my spine as I finally looked upon her face._

_Fear froze me completely as I realized who it was. It was the girl who had denied me. I had wanted her, and she turned me down. I had swiftly ordered her death._

_Now, gazing in shock upon her face, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Her eyes, so beautiful, stared at me with a sadness that I could not comprehend. Why should she be sad? She should be rife with anger at what I had done. She should be..._

_I fell to my knees, unable to sustain strength in my legs. My breathing was even more terribly laboured, and I could see spots in my vision. Vainly, I struggled on to capture every detail of this beautiful, haunting girl._

_I raised my eyes once more, wanting to engrave every detail of her into my memory. As my eyes met hers, I could see the fear and the pain reflected. _

_Fear gripped my throat as I realized exactly what I was seeing. She wasn't sad. She wasn't scared. She wasn't in pain. I was seeing myself in her eyes. And it was terrifying._

_A serene smile passed over her lips, and she kneeled gently in front of me. A piece of debris was burning beside her, the flames licking up her thigh, but she didn't seem to notice._

_She slowly reached out, offering me her hand. I wanted nothing more than to take her hand, and hold it forever._

_The flames roared higher all around me, blocking out nearly all sound. As I reached out to take her hand, I heard her giggle once more. _

_It was a quiet sound that at once seemed to echo all around me, while at the same time sending shivers down my spine. It was a wistful sound, filled with regret and pain. But also a resigned acceptance. What was she accepting? This bothered me. The fiery red-head should accept nothing that she didn't want to. _

_I almost felt the urge to stand up and fight whatever was imposing its' will upon her, but my body lacked the strength._

_My eyes fell from her face to her offered hand._

_She was so close...If I could just resign myself to taking her hand, then perhaps..._

_Perhaps what? I did not know. _

_Gritting my teeth, I reached out and closed the few inches between us._

_The second we touched, her hand closed around my wrist. My eyes widened at the unnatural strength in her body, as she hauled me to my feet by my wrist._

_She set me down, and I stumbled before regaining my balance. When I straightened, I looked her in the eye._

_Our gazes met for half a second, before she threw herself into my arms. I wasn't sure how to react, and I had no time to think as I felt her cool lips on my throat. My eyes slid closed, and I blocked out everything as I tried to focus on her lips._

_Her teeth dragged teasingly across my throat, before licking a wet trail back up to my ear. Once more I heard her giggle softly, before speaking._

_"I'll never forgive you. You're going to die."_

_000_

_ I shot up in bed, gasping for breath. I could still feel the heat of the flames on my skin, I still felt choked by the lack of air. There was a cold sweat drenching my body, and I wiped the sweat from my face and tears from my eyes as I tried to calm my breathing. I hadn't even realized I had been crying._

_I tasted blood. Licking my lips, I realized I had bitten through my bottom lip at one point._

_"Are you okay, Jo?"_

_I heard Meg's voice beside me. I turned my head to look at her, but couldn't see her in the darkness. I could feel her though. Her body was pressed against mine; her breath on my cheek. I could even imagine the concerned look in her eye._

_'No. I'm not okay.' I thought. I ignored her and turned away. I laid down on my right side, and stared at the wall as my eyes slowly adapted to the darkness._

_"Jo?" Meg asked in a quiet voice. She said something else; I couldn't understand her. I ignored her._

_Suddenly I felt her hand on my arm, and I shrugged her off violently. I didn't want her to touch me. _

_The guilt was overwhelming, and tears threatened to spill down my cheeks. I held them in as best I could, but they fell like rain. At least it was silent. I refused to make any noise._

_I could hear Meg behind me, more awake now. Her voice sounded worried, and a bit angry. I didn't care. I couldn't understand her. We weren't that far along yet, I didn't know too many of her words._

_Suddenly, she was speaking to me angrily, in my own language. I listened to her, despite myself._

_"I don't know what is bothering you, but shrugging me off like that doesn't help. Just talk to me, Jo! I want to help!"_

_My anger boiled over. I couldn't help it. So many raw emotions were running through me that it was impossible to contain. I threw the covers back, and rolled over._

_"Help?" I shouted in her face. "Help? You can't fucking help! Nothing you do or say will help! Nothing can fix what I've done!"_

_I was leaning over her now, screaming at her in a mix of our languages. I knew she understood me. _

_"You can't fix this." I said coldly. "Stop prying. It's none of your business."_

_Suddenly, as I was about to move away, anger replaced the fear on her face and she grabbed the front of my shirt. She pulled me down on top of her until our noses were touching._

_"YOU are my business Jo! Don't act like you aren't." Her voice was strong; her attitude, defiant._

_I hated myself for it, but in that instant, I didn't see Meg. In her place, I saw the nameless girl that I had first wanted. _

_I reached forward, and pulled her into a hard kiss. It was full of passion, raw lust, and regret. I wondered if she could taste my sorrow. I hated this too. I wasn't kissing Meg._

_Eyes closed, I forced my tongue into her mouth. She responded like I knew she would. And how I imagined that other girl would._

A/N: Well, another chapter up. Reviews are appreciated. Miscellaneous developments: I'm surprised this chapter got typed up so fast. I slit my finger to the bone today while working on a friends car, and I never realized how hard it was to type without your pinkie until now. Lo and behold, it is responsible for a great deal of things. Ah well. I taped it up with electrical tape, and it seems fine now. Anyway, this chapter is starting to reveal the extent of quite a few things, and sets an interesting tone for the relationships in this story.

Again, not all these excerpts are in chronological order, so just keep an open mind when reading them. Thank you all for your time. I hope you have enjoyed everything so far.


	21. Chapter 21

The Path Of Fate- Chapter 21

Sei guided Kouta to her desk, removed her arm as he sat in one of the leather chairs. She moved around the desk and sat in her seat, smiling at him.

"So. You're going to get the job done, eh?"

Kouta nodded. "Yes, I believe I will."

"I have other men on it as well. They say they are close to finding her, and I believe them, but time is of the essence. The more people I can get on this job, the better. Regardless of cost, I need this girl as soon as possible."

Kouta nodded again, and leaned back in his chair. "So what am I working with? What tools do I have?"

Sei lifted a folder from a pile on her desk, and slid it across the desk to him.

"There are multiple pictures contained within, a short write-up of everything we know, and a USB with video clips of everything that happened."

Kouta glanced at it, then raised his eyes to Sei.

"What is the possibility that she is already out of the city? The country? She's been gone for quite a while now."

"Out of the city...we honestly don't know. But we do know that she is in this country. She can't possibly escape without the proper documentation. She would be picked up by law enforcement instantly. Assuming this, we have been keeping a check on all the ways out of this country and the corresponding agencies to see if anyone matching her description has been picked up."

Kouta nodded in approval. "Good. Makes it a bit easier. If she did in fact come from the time period you indicate, then she is no stranger to travelling, and may have gotten quite far on foot."

"I doubt it." Sei interjected. "She was badly wounded when she left here, and no hospitals have any records of someone matching her description being admitted for care. She got help somewhere in this vicinity, I'm sure of it."

Kouta eyed her for a moment, then dropped his gaze to the folder.

"I'm merely exhausting every possible scenario, to make sure we haven't missed anything." He said.

Sei nodded. "I understand. Our main goal is apprehension. You understand the reward being offered is proportionate to our desire to have her, yes?"

Kouta nodded slowly. There was a moment of silence.

"It is indeed a hefty sum." He said. "Although I'm not sure I'm too motivated by that."

Sei chuckled softly. "A man not motivated by money? I'm not sure I follow."

Kouta grinned devilishly and leaned forward, elbows on the edge of the desk. He fixed Sei with a confident gaze, and shook his head slowly.

"Oh, I am indeed motivated by money, and what you are offering for the capture of the girl is indeed a king's ransom, but it is paltry in comparison to the money I will make over the long period of time that I do business with this company. You _will_ have use for me, provided I return good results, I assume?"

Sei, in contrast to Kouta, leaned back in her comfortable chair. Chin up, she gazed down at Kouta. "Hmm. We will just have to wait and see, now won't we?"

Kouta laughed, and nodded. "We will indeed. However, my boss doesn't recommend just anyone, you know. He's a very powerful man with a lot of reputation on the line. I think I can be of good use to you."

Sei hummed softly. "Well. If I have a use for you, I will certainly put you to work. I will also recommend you to others in need of your services - _if_ you can perform. However, I believe this has less to do with money, and more to do with other personal goals. Am I right, Kouta?"

Kouta's eyes widened almost imperceptibly, but gave nothing else away. He knew that denying it would be instant proof, so he merely smiled.

"You're a smart woman. If that is the conclusion you draw, then there is nothing I can say to change your mind. But it would be...unwise to assume that allying myself with you is the only chance I have to accomplish any personal goals that you assume I may have."

Sei grinned openly. "A very devious response. I would expect nothing less from you."

She considered letting him know that she knew about her employee's relationship with him, but decided that the more cards she kept close to her chest, the better. After all, the smartest reveal the least. There was no need to prove how much she knew. That would be asking for trouble.

"Anyway, the entire project is on standby until this girl is found. It is costing me more money than I'd like, and the sooner this affair is over and done with, the better."

Kouta took that as his cue to leave, and he got up. Picking up the folder in his left hand, he shook Sei's right, and grinned at her.

"I'll knock this one out soon enough. Trust me. Everything will be fine."

Sei smiled, as she walked with him to her office door.

"Let's save the hero talk for the results, shall we?"

He bowed gracefully, before exiting. Sei watched him walk toward the elevator, before slowly shutting her door.

It would certainly be interesting to see what kind of results he got, she thought.

She would just have to wait and see.

000

Kouta got back into his car, and started it. The engine was cold, so he waited a few minutes for it to warm up.

While he waited, he pulled out his phone and texted Amy.

_'Hey, you still awake?'_

He shut his phone, and turned on his wipers. It was raining heavily now, and it was late. There was minimal traffic on the road, and he thought idly about having some fun on the way home.

A moment later, his phone vibrated.

_'Yeah, of course. Are you coming home tonight? I'm just messing around online.'_

He grinned. _'Yeah, on my way home. Sorry for working so late. See you soon :3'_

He closed his phone, and put it between his legs on his seat. Looking over his shoulder for traffic, he put it in gear and accelerated hard. Instantly, his wheels locked together, and his car started sliding sideways on the slippery road.

He applied a bit of counter-steering, and brought it back in line as he shifted quickly. Dropping the heavy clutch, his wheels again lost grip. Rear end sliding out, he stayed on the throttle as he accelerated hard. When it felt like he was going to go completely sideways, he lifted off the gas, and up-shifted again. With a jerk, his wheels caught traction and his car whipped back into a straight line.

Grinning widely, he idly thought about installing a bigger turbo. The car would be nearly unstreetable, but that didn't bother him in the slightest.

Day-dreaming, he geared down for a right turn.

000

Amy closed the chat window as she heard footsteps outside her door. Leaning back, she yawned and stretched, as the footsteps stopped. A second later, and the handle turned. The door swung open as she swung around in her chair, and she smiled tiredly at Kouta.

"Hey, how are you?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Bit tired. Wanna go to bed and cuddle?" There was a hopeful tone in his voice.

She hummed softly. "Sure. Where were you?"

He glanced at her as he kicked off his shoes. "Working." He said. He left it at that. Unfortunately, she wouldn't.

"Working where?" She tried to keep her tone light, but she really wanted to know.

"Anywhere my work takes me." He said evasively. "There's a lot of travelling in my job, you know that."

She hummed once more, and decided against pushing it. "Okay. Let's go to bed."

He smiled at her, and put his arm around her shoulders as he walked with her toward her bedroom.

"How was work today?" He asked. She shrugged. "Not bad. Same as always, really."

"Well, at least it's steady. I envy that kind of job."

Amy pushed open her door, and pulled him toward the bed.

"Thought you liked the changing work environment?"

"Yeah, but for once I would like knowing that I go into work, I do what I've always done and know how to do, and I go home. There's so many unknowns in my line of work."

Amy smiled. "Well, little too late to change career paths now, isn't it?"

_'Moreso than you think.'_ He silently agreed.

She pulled him into bed, and fell to the side to avoid landing on her. Immediately she rolled on top of him, and giggled.

"You tired?" She asked.

He smirked. "Maybe."

Amy giggled quietly. "Well. Let's see if I can change that..."

000

Meg sighed as she rubbed her tired eyes. This book had swiftly gotten a lot more difficult, and she struggled to grasp the formation of sentences. At best she could form rough, basic sentences that barely conveyed her questions or concerns. There were so many questions she had no answers to, and it was discouraging.

She glanced over at Jo, sleeping peacefully next to her, and slowly her resolve hardened. If there was one reason good enough to keep trying, it was lying next to her.

As badly as she wanted to toss aside the book and cuddle, cuddling didn't make her learn new languages. Besides...things had been awkward, kind of touch-and-go with Jo the last few days. It felt like she was slowly withdrawing from Meg, and Meg could feel unease building in the pit of her stomach. It seemed like they were headed for a confrontation in the next few weeks over something Meg couldn't even begin to understand.

If things continued to deteriorate, Meg had no idea what she would do.

She bit her lip. If only Jo would tell her what was wrong. She had a feeling that the language barrier had nothing to do with it. Even if they could communicate freely, Meg knew that Jo would still keep to herself. It was weird.

It concerned her. Something wasn't right.

Meg turned her attention back to the book, and re-read the page. Slowly, she began to make sense of the words.

She glanced at the clock on the bedside table. The red numbers glowed eerily at her.

3:16 AM.

She yawned, and closed the book. It was time to sleep. After work tomorrow, she should take Jo out somewhere, she thought. Try to cheer her up. Or do something with her. Anything, really, to get her out of the house. She wasn't sure what yet, and knew that she was pretty much broke, but she would find something.

She yawned once more, this time bringing tears to her eyes, and scooted down under the blankets. Turning to her left, she cuddled up close next to Jo and slipped an arm around her waist.

As it often did, her mind wondered about her sexuality, and her choice of "partner", but as quickly as it did, she replaced it with other thoughts.

Whatever kind of relationship she had going with this silver-haired seductive girl, she wasn't about to over-think and analyze it. Right now it filled a void she had never known existed, and these days kissing and cuddling with another girl was standard behaviour, wasn't it?

As long as the clothes stayed on...

A/N: Well, another one up. Reviews and comments are always appreciated, let me know what you think. As always, thank you for reading :)


	22. Chapter 22

The Path of Fate, Chapter 22

Meg woke up as feeble rays of sunlight warmed her face through the window. She blinked, then squeezed her eyes closed against the sun. She yawned, and reached up to run her hands through her hair.

As her hands fell down to her side, her left hand fell on a shoulder, and her right hand landed entangled in hair.

Meg tilted her head up and opened her eyes. She was greeted by Jo`s beautful face as she slept peacefully on Meg's stomach.

Meg smiled softly, and ran her fingers through Jo's hair. Part of her wanted this moment to never end; a peaceful Jo was a stunningly beautiful one.

A soft beeping reached her ears, and she knew that if she did not shut off her alarm soon, it would steadily grow louder.

Another glance at Jo. Slowly, the beeping grew more insistent.

Meg sighed, and reached over to shut off the alarm. Stretching as far as she could, her fingertips just barely reached the button before it would have erupted into an obnoxiously loud beep.

"Mm baby, time to get up." Meg said softly. She began to sit up, knowing the movement would have Jo awake in a few moments.

Sure enough, Jo raised her head from Meg's stomach and looked at her sleepily.

Meg eased her way out from underneath her, and threw her legs over the side of the bed.

She could feel Jo close behind her as she walked down the hall toward the kitchen. Following her morning routine, she got Jo set up with a bowl of cereal before retreating to the bathroom to shower and brush her teeth.

She wasn't sure what she wanted to do with Jo today.

Kouta yawned as he downshifted, coming up to a red light. He needed to begin the footwork today, and there was no better way to start the day than with a trip to the store for an energy drink. Last night had tired him out, he thought idly, waiting for the light to change.

The light turned green. Pulling away, he glanced down at the passenger seat and looked at the picture of the target. It was grainy, but good enough to be recognizable.

Returning his gaze to the road, he thought out his plan. He would go to the absolute stretches of the city and work his way in. After all, if she had made her way progressively further out of town, then she would be freshest in the memory of the ones further out of town than the ones who had seen her many days ago as she had just escaped.

If he caught wind of her, he would work his way in, until the trail indicated he was headed in the wrong direction, or until he found her.

The girl seemed kinda cute, he thought as he navigated around some slower vehicles. From the video though, she seemed also a bit psychotic.

He laughed softly to himself as he remembered the footage of her busting through the wooden door, and shook his head. Finding her was one thing; capturing, quite another.

He figured this was far enough out of town, and in the direction he thought she would have taken.

He pulled over at a gas station, and parked as far away from the other cars and out of the way of the pumps as possible.

"Might as well start here." He said to himself, shutting off his car. Maybe the store owners would have seen her or something.

Getting out, he shut the door and stretched. Time to get down to work.

Meg giggled and leaned her head on Jo's shoulder. A timer ticked down to zero, and she could feel Jo jump as the camera flash went off.

"That's gonna be a good one, Jo!" She said. Jo's eyes narrowed, and she glared at the lightbulb that had flashed so brightly in her face.

"Aw, cheer up. Smile for the next one!"

The camera flash went off again, and Meg frowned. That wasn't going to be a good one.

She had better make the next one count.

She saw the counting working it's way down in the corner of her eye, and she grinned as she leaned in.

"Smile, Jo." She whispered, before kissing her on the cheek.

The camera went off in time to catch the wide-eyed look of surprise on Jo's face.

A/N: I know this wasn't what you guys were expecting, given how long it's been since I've updated, but you will have to bear with me. Got another job, and my finger has been useless since slicing the flexor tendon, so my typing is dramatically slower.

I promise to put out a more thorough update next time, and hopefully it won't take so damn long!


	23. Excerpts of a Warrior

The Path of Fate Chapter 23

_Excerpts of A Warrior_

_ The sun was low in the morning sky, a fiery ball of red-orange that hurt to look at. We came into town with the rising sun warming our backs, casting long imposing shadows on the ground that preceded us into the village. _

_Our weapons were sheathed; our pace was slow, non-threatening. We meant them no harm. We sought only a place to rest, water for our war-horses, and an abundance of food._

_Honestly, we were too tired to kill them. Our bloodlust was temporarily sated._

_I knew there was an ulterior motive to coming here; the caravan had been heading in this direction a week or so ago._

_I was here to see if there was any news of her. Maybe I could find a name. Or something. I didn`t know what, yet._

_I signaled my men to disband. Each had their own job to do, whether it be finding food, or lodgings, or any other task assigned to them._

_I, however, dismounted from my horse. Straightening my armor, a hand on the hilt of my sword, I walked lithely up to a group of people._

_"What's going on here?" I asked._

_Three of the people turned to acknowledge me, and I met their gaze. _

_"Last week a group of travelers who made their living selling commodities was cut down in the middle of the road." An older man said. _

_"They were on their way here to return home with what little goods they had not sold, after being apart from their families for many moons."_

_I steeled my gaze, giving away nothing._

_"There was only one body that wasn't cut to ribbons. That of a young girl. Whoever murdered them had gone easy on her."_

_"How had she died?" I inquired._

_"Stabbed in the heart, she was."_

_I cleared my throat and my fists clenched. I could feel the emotion running through me but I could not let it show. _

_My body trembled, and I was just as confused as I was heart-broken. I couldn't understand my seemingly irrational reaction, but it didn't matter. _

_A look of confusion passed over the face of the man in front of me, but I paid him no heed. I looked away and turned my gaze to the sky. _

_There was only one more thing that I wished to know._

_"What was her name?"_

_000_

I sat up in bed, tears in my eyes. I was ashamed, but it wasn't something I could control. My breath shuddered in my chest as I tried to silence my sobs.

I turned over and curled into a ball, hugging myself. Arms tight around my chest, I tried and failed to contain my sorrow.

By now, the girl next to me was used to my night terrors, and I could feel her press her body against my back, whispering sweet nothings in my ear. I knew she was trying to calm me down and make me feel better, and I loved her for it, but there were some things that I felt would never be okay.

Her soft, caressing hands found my back, my sides, my stomach, my chest, anywhere they could softly stroke and gently squeeze, reassuring and soothing.

It took a while, but eventually my tears stopped. I focused on her hands, and noticed that they had a pattern. Her body was pressed tightly up against me and one of her arms was under my neck, gently cradling me. Her other hand slipped along my bare stomach, fingertips teasing a path down my navel.

I bit my lip as her hand came back up the side of my leg. It continued upward until her fingertips slid along the side of my breast.

For a second I was mildly disappointed as her teasing fingers passed by, but it was quickly forgotten as her soft lips found my neck. I closed my eyes as a soft moan escaped my lips. She gently kissed my neck, then her lips trailed down my bare shoulder. I writhed in pleasure under her warm wet tongue, another quiet moan interrupting the silence as her hand came up to gently squeeze my breasts.

She wasn't gentle for long. Within moments, the desire was burning through my body as her hands clawed at what little clothing i wore.

I was pushed over onto my back as she crawled on top of me. Her hands wrapped around my wrists, and even though I could easily fight her off, I let her have her way with me.

Even the thought of her dominating me made me squirm in anticipation, and the last lingering feelings of sadness disappeared under the heat of her lapping tongue.

Her lips encircled my left nipple, and I squirmed as her long hair fell over her shoulders, tickling my bronzed skin.

She refused to let go of my wrists, and I reveled in the feeling of her nails digging into my skin and the control she had over me.

Her teeth gently bit my nipple before licking it, and I heard the soft humming of approval in her voice. Her soft lips trailed kisses down my taut stomach, tongue tracing the outline of my abs.

As soon as she let go of my arms to move lower, my fingers were tangled in her hair. I tilted my head back and licked my lips as she licked me.

My hips twitched as she gently bit my waist. Her hands were gripping my hips tightly as her tongue slid down past my belly button.

I trembled in anticipation of her tongue sliding up between my legs, and it was with a deliberate, agonizing slowness that she stopped just short. A soft whine in the back of my throat expressed my displeasure as my hands tugged impatiently at her long red hair.

She snickered, enjoying the control, as her hands caressed me into near ecstacy. Still, her tongue teased me.

"Mmmnh...M...Megumi..." I softly moaned the name of the girl that eternally haunted my dreams, and as the pleasure in my body grew, so did my heart-breaking desire for a girl I knew I could never have.

000

A/N: Well, work is keeping me pretty busy, six days a week, so my apologies on the wait-time for updates, which, unfortunately, are going to be around the week-to-ten-days mark. I still want to produce quality chapters, and while they may not be as long as they used to, I want them to be grammatically correct and in line with my original story idea. I really don't want to rush and produce a low-quality chapter. Thanks a million for all your patience, and I hope you will leave me with a tasty review.

The doctor also says that within another month or so, I should know whether or not I regain mobility of my nearly-severed finger, so...fingers crossed! I actually have quite a few more ideas for this fandom and pairing, so this definitely won't be the last story you see out of me either regarding Burst Angel.

I hope you will continue to support this story, and once again I appreciate the reviews and the patience.

For those of you who want more dark-themed writing, don't worry. This story can't stay happy forever. I am slowly laying the groundwork for more plot progression. =D


	24. Chapter 24

The Path of Fate: Chapter 24

"Meg, could I talk to you for a minute?"

Meg looked up as the stern sound of her teacher's voice reached her ears. She looked down at her desk as she stood, reluctantly closing her books and picking it up.

She approached her instructor's desk as the last students filed out, some giving her puzzled looks.

It was understandable. She had always been an excellent student with excellent marks. Until Jo had come.

She couldn't stop the resentment welling up inside her as she realized that her declining marks were directly related to Jo.

"Meg, your marks are not good lately. I wasn't going to say anything- most declines in marks are due to stress, and you don't need me adding to it,- but I feel that your bright mind is too valuable to waste. Your last test was so terrible that I won't be recording the mark. Instead, I will give you another chance to make it up. Is that something you would be interested in?"

Meg nodded numbly. She had realized she had been failing, but finding out she was doing this badly was a shock.

Meg excused herself politely, and hurried to her locker. She had to hurry; if she was late for work one more time, she would probably be fired.

By now, she was feeling terrible. She was failing school, and probably about to lose her job. If she did, she was screwed. If she lost her apartment, she would have nowhere to go. She didn't have a mother and father to go back to if things went south.

She slammed her fist angrily into her locker, but her anger passed into depression as quickly as it had come.

Sighing softly, she closed her locker and walked down the hall.

As she walked, she struggled with the mass of swirling thoughts inside her head. She liked Jo; she didn't want to get rid of her, or kick her out.

But things were not good. She was behind in her rent; Jo ate so much that most of her rent went solely to food. Meg had to wonder what she did with all the food. Her body was just as toned, lithe, and perfect as it was the day they had met.

For a moment, she forgot her problems as she thought about the way Jo captured her attention. Her seductive gaze could stop Meg in her tracks, not unlike the proverbial deer-caught-in-the-headlights.

Her body was something else. The tanned curves of her body could send Meg into a wanting frenzy at a moments' glance. It was hypnotic. Her hips moved like no one else she had ever seen, a graceful poise that separated her from the normal pretty girls. When Jo moved, raised her head, turned her gaze upon her, it was all she could do to not drop what she was doing and fall into Jo's arms.

Her expression once again turned troubled. It was obvious that Jo was a solid part of her life now. And like Jo, she would either have to adapt to this change, or face the consequences.

She sighed again, but this time, it was not a sigh of defeat. It was merely a sigh of acceptance. When she got home from work tonight, she would look for another job. She wasn't making enough at her job now, and she would not let either herself, nor Jo, starve.

Mind full of thoughts of Jo, she pulled open the door to her work, and walked in.

Jo stared pensively at the wall. Her mind was flooded with thoughts, and she tried to order them as best she could.

Meg had been distant lately. Jo didn't know why, but she bet it had something to do with the papers she always pored over every night. Meg wouldn't say anything, and Jo had never asked, so she was unsure, but she was willing to bet that that's what it was.

She wasn't sure why, or when, but she had come to care for Meg. The overwhelming strength of her feelings for Meg had surprised herself.

She wasn't sure what to do now. She had been here only a short time; four weeks by Meg's measure. Still, she felt the yearnings of her old home, where the biting cold wind blew through her hair with a reassuring strength. However, she knew that if she did, there would be an empty spot by her side where Meg had come to belong, and an empty spot in her heart where she would never again see Meg's beautiful smiling face.

She frowned as she realized that she fell too easily for beautiful women.

That wasn't exactly true. She had seen many beautiful women during her travels. Meg was something different. She wasn't sure how to describe it.

Jo shook those thoughts from her head and yawned. As she did, her sharp ears picked up the sound of the elevator dinging to a halt down the hall. She idly wondered if it was Meg, and if she should greet her as she always had, or maybe show her how much she cared about the red-headed girl.

She frowned again. She really needed something to do. Her brain was turning stupid, if this was all she thought about all day.

A few seconds later, and her thoughts were interrupted by the door handle turning. She looked up in time from the couch to see Meg walk in, and Jo couldn't stop the uncharacteristic smile from spreading across her face as she saw her.

"Welcome home, Meg."

Meg smiled tiredly at her, and closed the door behind her.

"Hi Jo, how's your day been?"

Jo hesitated, unsure of part of what Meg had asked.

"My day? Has been, um...oh! How it has been! Just fine." Jo said, stumbling over the mix of the two languages.

Meg was surprised at how much she had picked up lately regarding Jo's language, but apparently, she had a knack for new languages. It also helped to be around it every day.

Meg stared at Jo for a few seconds, determined not to become lost in her heated gaze. As she was about to look away, Jo slowly raised her hand, and made a 'come here' motion.

Instantly, Meg's heart was fluttering as she made her way over to Jo. As Meg moved closer, Jo leaned back until she was laying down on her back on the couch.

"Meg, come here." Jo whispered.

Meg could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as she knelt on the couch between Jo's legs, and leaned over her.

Jo smirked, and reached up to slide her hand behind Meg's neck. Gently, she pulled Meg down until she was laying on top of her, and as Meg closed her eyes, Jo gently pressed her lips against Meg's.

The charcoal grey four door sedan sat on the curb, the large man inside motionless as he watched the apartment across the street. The red-headed girl had entered nearlyy ten minutes ago.

He had waited to see if she would come back out. It seemed like she was in for the night.

Slowly, he pulled a cell phone out of his inside jacket pocket. Flipping it open, he speed-dialed his associates.

"Everything checks out. Get in there. Mission is a go."

He closed the phone and slipped it back into his pocket as a sleek black car pulled up across the street.

He hoped things went well.

A/N: Bah. Landscaping job is taking all my writing time away!

As always, reviews are appreciated!


	25. Chapter 25

The Path Of Fate: Chapter 25

A/N: Fear not, for I am still alive, and so is this story. Hopefully I haven't lost any readers...

Two men in ordinary clothing stepped out of the car, and swiftly moved toward the building. Without any hesitation, they entered.

The man watching from the charcoal gray car heaved a near silent sigh, trying to calm his nerves. The information he had obtained suggested that this girl was a highly skilled warrior. Being ex-military, he didn't believe in super powers, and he was sure his men were more than capable of handling her, but something nagged at the back of his mind. Always wondering 'what if'. It would be fool-hardy to assume that the battle had been won before it had begun, and he had long since learned to keep contingency plans. This, however, he wasn't sure how to plan for. After all, if two grown men couldn't wrestle one girl to the ground, what could he do by himself?

He had a weapon. He always did. However, this girl had to be taken alive. Shooting was not an option. If they couldn't capture her without weapons, they would be forced to retreat, and she would be on the alert.

He tried his best to alleviate the worry. Nothing would go wrong, he told himself. Everything would be fine.

He stared pensively at the building, and waited with baited breath for his cell phone to ring with the good news.

888

Jo paused, her lips pressed against Meg's neck. Slowly she raised her head, and quietly shushed Meg's protests.

"What is it, Jo?" Meg asked. She reached up and ran her fingers through Jo's hair.

"I hear something." She stated bluntly.

"You'll hear lots of things, Jo. It's an apartment building. If you listen long and hard enough, you'll no doubt hear people doing this kind of stuff."

Jo allowed herself to be pulled back down, and this time it was Meg who gently kissed Jo's neck.

Jo slowly closed her eyes. She was enjoying Meg's ministrations, but another, more instinctual animalistic part of her merely wanted to sharpen her hearing.

After spending nearly a month in Meg's home every day and evening, she had grown accustomed to the comings and goings of the people living here. It was rare to hear movement on this floor this late at night. And such heavy steps...

Getting closer...

Jo couldn't help it. Something wasn't right. She could feel it. It wasn't blind luck that had kept her alive this long, and she was glad that her senses were still razor sharp after all her time spent in this hospitable land.

"Someone is coming." Jo said, pushing herself off of Meg.

Confused, Meg scrambled to smooth out her shirt as she sat up.

"Coming?"

"Coming here." Jo said with conviction.

She cast a glance at Meg, then stood and turned toward the front door.

Just in time to see it splinter to pieces under the weight of the burly man who came stumbling into the apartment through the wreckage.

A surprised shriek from Meg reached Jo's ears, but she paid it no heed. Meg wasn't in any real danger; Jo was between her and the threat.

The large man never missed a step as he strode purposefully toward Jo, raising his strong calloused hands toward her throat.

She was undaunted by his direct attack; it was common to reach for the throat of a mortal enemy and she had come to react instinctively to it.

A roar erupted from her throat as she raised her right foot high in front of her, intending to kick him in the chest.

He grinned, and grabbed her outstretched foot in his large hands. He raised her foot high above his head, trying to make her lose her balance.

Jo swiftly jumped up and leaned back, bringing her other leg up toward his face.

She connected solidly with his chin, and a pained grunt escaped his clenched teeth as he released his grasp on her.

She didn't even feel it when she dropped onto the floor; she was standing the next second.

As she raised her gaze, there was another man in the apartment, standing next to the injured man on the ground.

Jo took two steps toward the second intruder, and swung her fist at his head. As he easily ducked the punch, Jo found herself wishing for her axe.

The intruder straightened up, his large fist aimed for her chin in a deadly uppercut. Jo leaned back, and grabbed his arm, holding him for a second as she raised her left leg.

Another roar of aggression filled the room as she brought her bare foot down on his leg, aiming for his kneecap but knowing any spot on his leg would suffice.

He was too large and muscled for the strike to break his bone, but it had definitely hurt him, as he reeled from the strike. It was clear he couldn't put any weight on his leg, and Jo was about to move in for a second strike when she felt something on her leg.

"Jo!" Meg's terrified voice rang in her ears.

Jo looked down to see the fist of her first opponent clutching her left ankle, squeezing as hard as he could.

As she looked up, she saw a fist flying toward her head. She ducked, but still got clipped on the skull, knocking her senseless for a second. She fought to keep standing; if she fell, she would be slaughtered quickly. She shook her head, and looked down toward the assailant on the ground holding her leg.

She ignored the pain in her head, and quickly brought her right foot down as hard as she could on his wrist. It broke audibly, and a feral grin formed on Jo's face.

She loved the sound of breaking bones.

Turning around, Jo grabbed Meg by the arm and pulled her down the hall toward the bedroom.

"Stay in the room with the door closed and don't open it until I tell you to." Jo said, pushing her into the door. She could hear the sounds of pained pursuit, and she quickly grabbed her axe from where it leaned against the wall.

"J-JO!" Meg looked at the weapon, terrified of what was about to happen in her living room.

Jo smiled. "Don't worry. This will end it quickly."

Jo placed her hand on Meg's chest, and pushed her. Meg stumbled back onto the bed, and Jo slammed the bedroom door.

"Now," She said, walking down the hallway. "My enemies will fall."

The two men saw her advancing, battle axe in hand, and decided that a timely retreat was in order.

Without waiting for her to raise her weapon, knowing they could not take her on without a weapon, they wasted no time fleeing.

They would re-group. They would re-plan. Then they would return.

Jo watched them flee, hatred in her eyes for their cowardice. Moreso than that, she thought, they had left her without a door. And with considerably less privacy for herself and Meg.

Jo sighed. She was no carpenter (Oh, the irony!) and she doubted Meg had the skills to fix this.

The best she could do for now was clean up. She frowned. Without a door, they stood a considerable risk of being attacked by thieves and bandits. This was unacceptable.

"Meg." Jo said, walking down the hall. "It is okay to come out now." Jo placed her hand on the door, and opened it.

"Everything okay?"

Her question was met with sobs, and Jo realized Meg was crying. Moving swiftly over to the bed, Jo dropped her axe as she climbed over next to Meg.

"Meg, what's wrong?" She asked quietly, taking Meg into her arms. Meg clung tightly to her as she cried, shaking her head.

"I'm just scared." She said quietly, between choked sobs and deep breaths.

Silence for a moment as Jo contemplated what to say. After a moment of deliberation, Jo gently reached out and raised Meg's teary gaze to meet her own. Jo gazed deep into her eyes, gently stroking her cheek.

"Meg," Jo whispered softly, "we have no door."

A/N: Short, but still alive!


	26. Chapter 26

TPOF-26

A/N: This should NOT have taken so long. Curse you, busy life!

"So you two were defeated, is what you're trying to tell me." The man said, leaning back in his office chair.

The two muscle-men across the large desk from him stood as still as stone. Neither moved, neither spoke. No apology was offered.

The man, a Mr. Kojima, was one of the many branches of the web spun by Sei to catch the target, and while failing would not result in anything undersirable, he would much rather emerge victorious and collect the reward money being offered.

He 'hmm'ed softly as he opened the top desk drawer to his right. He slowly and deliberately pulled out a small silver case, about ten inches long, by four inches wide.

He paid the men in front of him no heed as he set it carefully onto his desk. Popping the catches, he slowly flipped back the lid.

Silence filled the air as Mr. Kojima removed a fine cigar from the case in his left hand, and a pair of silver cutters in his right.

Expertly cutting the tip of his cigar, he raised it to his lips as he exchanged the cutters for an ornate Zippo lighter.

Carefully, he spun the tip of the cigar around through the flame produced by the lighter until it was evenly lit.

The silence was puntuated by a sharp metallic snap as he deftly closed to Zippo with a casual flick of his wrist.

He returned his gaze to his employees as he slowly enjoyed the first few mouthfuls of smoke.

"You two," He said slowly, quietly. "Are business men in your own right, and fairly intelligent at that. You know what it costs to run an operation like this. The equipment. The cars. The identification and bypassing weapons permits. You also know what the reward being offered is. Basic math will tell you that our profit margin is shrinking as operating costs go up."

"Your shrinking profit margin should be motivation enough, but don't forget that I'm making a set amount from this deal. My number is set no matter how long this takes. I advise you to go out and make the most of the time remaining, before there is nothing left for you."

With a wave of his hand, the men took their leave. Mr. Kojima sat for a moment, before spinning his chair to face the window. He gazed out over the city as his mind thought heavy thoughts.

He had set out as a young child with dreams of taking over the world and having more money than he knew what to do with. Maybe do some good when he had earned all his cash. Who knew?

Now, he sat, getting older each day. He had certainly aquired a pile of wealth, but it had done nothing to ease his growing sense of mortality. Some nights, it was hard to sleep. His childhood dreams of grandeur hadn't amounted to what he thought it would, but certainly not for lack of trying. He felt mostly unfulfilled these days, uncertain about the future and his role in it.

His hands shook as he relit his cigar.

888

Sei pressed a button on her intercom system and paged her secretary.

"Yeah, send in the advisor from Sector B, please." Sei said, releasing the button.

"Of course, Miss Sei."

Sei closed her eyes and took a moment to think through her position. She had that meeting at three, and Amy coming in at three-thirty...

She sighed. This was getting out of control. She was losing money on this project, all because one damn girl was taking too long to be found. Now she had the advisor coming up to explain why it was "imperative that the girl be returned."

Sei raised her head as a knock sounded on her door.

"Enter." She said, somewhat sharply. She didn't mean to; work was beginning to get to her.

The door opened to reveal the advisor, head of the Critical Analysis department on her project. He was a stubble-cheeked, long-haired man with square framed glasses that were oddly at home on his slightly bony nose, and he smiled as he sat. In his hand, he carried a thick binder, which he now rested on her desk.

"How are you, Sei?"

"I'm fine, Andre, how are you?" She asked.

He waved his hand as if it were an unimportant question, and scooted his chair closer to the desk.

"It seems the slight snag of the escaped warrior has grown into a rather disastrous problem. We did our fair share of research, both in that time, and our own, and have come up with what we believe is irrefutable evidence that the escapee is central to the development of the current historic version of events we now know today."

As if painstakingly memorized, Andre stroked his stubbly growth before flipping open the massive book a few pages.

"In this section we outline our thesis on the escapee's importance and role in history. It details many key factors, as well as providing an overview of the rest of the sections."

"The other key aspects of this book are the sections pertaining to the impact of the escapee, and the direct correlation her absence has with the subsequent changes to her present- and our past."

"You would also do well to take a look at the final section, which contains a brief summary of the contents provided here, and gives a breakdown of all the key points illustrated throughout the text."

Sei reached out and accepted the text from him. She scanned the page it was open to briefly, before shutting it. She quickly scrawled a note on a post-it, and stuck it to the top of the book.

"I'll be sure to take a look at it tonight; however, if you could sum up the most important key aspects into a single sentence, what would it be?"

Andre licked his lips as he crossed his legs.

"The escapee had a very integral role in the shaping of our history, and we strongly believe that her involvement is crucial to the structure of our present, which is built upon the past." He said.

"In layman's terms, Sei," He said, "If she doesn't go back, there's no telling what could happen to us here."

Sei showed no emotion as she considered the impact of Andre's words.

"Very well. You are dismissed. Thank you for your time." She said.

Andre stood, and nodded his head to her. "Thank you." He said, before leaving quietly.

When the door clicked shut, Sei's head fell to her desk. A sigh escaped her as she closed her eyes. The options before her were plain as day. Find the girl, and succeed. Or lose her, and fail. The repercussions of failure were unknown, but Sei was neither willing to take the risk, nor accept defeat.

She knew that she couldn't just throw more money at this problem and hope that it solved it. It was a disturbing revelation, as that was usually how she solved most of her problems. There was a very real possibility that the girl would not be found. Ever. No amount of money could change that, she knew. Her men, as well as the sub-contractors, were already working for a substantial amount of money. They were already trying their hardest. Even if the bounty reward increased, they couldn't possibly try harder than they already were.

The incentive was there, yet that didn't mean that completion of the job was a guarantee.

Sei could hear her teeth grinding in frustration, and she willed herself to calm down. She would get nowhere without a level head.

Obviously this girl didn't want to be found. Could Sei perhaps entice her to come out of hiding? Could she entice the people giving her shelter to give her up? How? Threats? Reward?

She shook her head. She didn't even know where the girl was. Threats were ineffective; how could she back up a threat when she had no idea who was hiding this girl? If there even _was_ anyone harboring her?

Perhaps it was time to make the bounty public?

The amount she was offering was enough to make any single person rich. The kind of money that only got offered to private firms, the money that had to cover overhead, operating costs, marginal, salary, and a thousand other things. Less than 20 percent would actually be company profit, and that was looking on the bright side of things.

But 17 million...Tax-free, that could turn a person from poverty to posh, in an instant. Everyone had a number. Once that number was reached, they would turn the girl over, no matter what kind of bond they may have developed.

Sei frowned. It wasn't too bad of an idea. Sei knew it would definitely yield results. However, she didn't want the bad press associated with a bounty that large, and a man-hunt falling on this company. Perhaps, she should create a false, cover-up company to take the fall? Something that never existed, and never would? It would take the heat, then disappear, never to be traced back to her.

Lifting her head form her computer, she logged onto her e-mail.

_Amy,_ She wrote, _I have a new task for you. When you come by my office at three-thirty, bring a pad or a notebook to write on. You're going to need to take notes and copy ideas. Will explain in full later. Sei._

Sei fired off the e-mail, then looked at the clock. It seemed she had fifteen unscheduled, uninterrupted minutes to herself before her three o'clock meeting.

She wanted so badly to nap, but willed herself to stop yawning. Instead, she flipped open the book Andre had left her to the first page, and began reading.

A/N: Reviews are appreciated :) Also, can anyone reccommend any good, free writing programs? I've always used wordpad, but it's getting a bit droll. Using 8's to separate paragraphs instead of actual line breaks is lame, but it's the only thing recognizes from wordpad. It just deletes all the spaces I put in there using the Enter button. I might give open-office a try...


	27. Chapter 27

The Path of Fate, Chapter 27

"Fine then, just leave or something, I don't really care anymore!" Meg shouted, pointing toward the door.

Jo said nothing, tugging at her long silver hair. She wasn't sure how to react. Normally she responded to anger with overwhelming brutal force, but she couldn't hurt Meg. She didn't even understand why Meg was so mad.

"Why are you so angry?" She asked Meg, in her native language.

"Because, I've come to care quite a bit for you, and I'm tired of listening to you scream and cry every night, and instead of telling me what's wrong, you shy away from me and ignore me." Meg answered, speaking Jo's language.

Jo had to admit, it was pretty attractive to hear Meg speak Old Norse, even if she lacked the distinctive East or West accent that went along with it.

"It's none of your business." She insisted.

"So you won't tell me?" Meg asked quietly.

"No."

"Fine." Meg threw her hands up in the air, and turned around. She walked back toward her bedroom, leaving Jo to stand in the kitchen.

She couldn't understand Meg's infatuation with knowing. She had told Meg it was none of her concern, and yet she still persisted.

Jo turned toward the door, thinking. Said door had been replaced about a week ago, by none other than Kyohei. He was none too skilled, and the door creaked loudly, but it stayed upon it's hinges and sealed the entrance so Jo accepted it as good enough. The barrier served it's purpose.

She inhaled through her nose, instantly regretting the decision as the scent of Meg reached her, making her feel weak in the knees and casting doubt upon her decision to stay silent.

She decided that a walk would be best.

Exiting the door, she shut it as gently as possible, but was still rewarded with a wood-on-wood groan.

She hadn't been drunk in months, she thought, letting her feet lead the way. She was sure she had forgotten what it felt like, and she wasn't too pleased about that. The urge to drink was overwhelming at times, especially in the early hours of the morning when she had trouble getting back to sleep.

There simply was no alcohol available.

Jo reached up and let her hair free from its tie as she stepped out into the cool night air. Her hair settled about her shoulders, hanging down her back, and she felt her stomach pang for how badly she missed fighting.

Her thoughts went back to Meg as she walked. How was she supposed to tell the girl her feelings? That she mourned a dead girl who looked exactly like her, Megumi's namesake?

At times like these, she would reach up to her throat and touch Mjollnir, the miniature hammer of Thor that nearly every one of the Danes wore, but hers was missing. She had lost it in the last great battle, and she had cursed the enemy who had clawed it off, leaving deep scratches across her throat and down her chest. His reward had been her sword shoved through his belly, and upon withdrawal, the removal of his guts.

She had ignored his dying gurgles in favor of searching the dirt for her precious Mjollnir, but it was nowhere to be found, and the battle continued all around her. Enraged, she had stood, drawing her axe and charging the enemy.

The Danes she had travelled with promised her a new one, but she was taken before that promise could be fulfilled.

She raised her eyes to an unfamiliar sky, and wondered what Odin in his Hall of corpses had planned for her. She prayed Valhalla awaited her, when everything was done, and that her men were there waiting for her.

She had often thought about how to get back home, but knowing she did not possess the skills to build such incredible machinery, she had thought it an impossible task. However, the other night, in a startling revelation of shocking obviousness, she had realized where the answer lay.

She pondered it now, as her feet took her wherever they desired. Would it really work?

888

Meg picked up her ringing cell phone, and glanced at the number for a moment before it dawned on her who it was.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Meg, how are you?"

"Good, yourself?"

"Good. Hey, listen, I found out something interesting that you may or may not be aware of." Carlie said.

"And what is that?"

"The video you posted of your friend there on the internet was on a public forum, and it seems like it's attracted some pretty shady customers."

"And? Do you think it's related to that attack on us?"

"It may be. But I found something even more unsettling." She said.

"What?"

"Are you near your computer?"

Meg turned to look at the computer sitting on the desk.

"Yeah, I am. Why?"

"Are you on MSN? I'll send you a link."

Meg sat down at her computer right as it beeped to notify her of an instant message. Opening the chat window, she clicked on the string of blue letters and numbers.

It took a moment, but after a while a page opened and loaded.

"Read through that, and tell me what you think." Carlie said. "I'm hanging up now, I'll talk to you on MSN."

Meg put her phone down, then maximized the window. Leaning forward, she began to read.

_'At first a private endeavour by a major manufacturing company, which shall for now remain nameless, there has been a leak by a well informed source regarding a man-hunt of sorts for a certain individual, whose description is as of yet unknown. What makes this interesting as that several private firms have been hired, all at quite a substantial amount, as well as a few underground associations, all in the name of finding one person. Who are they trying to find, and why?_

_The source who leaked the information admits that they know quite a bit more than they are letting on, and will continue to update as soon as it becomes safe and sensible to do so. _

Meg leaned back in her chair, unsure of how to connect this to Jo. Yeah, it seemed interesting alright, but Jo wasn't the first person who came into her head when she read this, so how was it the first person Carlie thought of when she read this?

_"I'm not sure I get it." _Meg typed.

_"Follow the links at the bottom of the page."_ Carlie responded.

Meg resized the page, then scrolled down. Aboutt two-thirds of the way down, there were a few links. As she clicked on the first one, a big picture opened up. In the shot, she could see a semi-destroyed front entrance to a building, but the name was outside of the shot of the view-finder.

_"How does this connect to Jo?"_ Meg asked, returning to study the picture more closely.

_"I know what building that is. And it's not very far from where you told me you picked up Jo the first time you saw her." _Carlie responded. _"It all fits together very nicely."_

_"It's still debateable that it's connected to Jo."_ Meg said.

_"Follow the second link. It was uploaded by the person claiming to be the source."_

Meg sighed, and went back to the web page. Clicking on the second link, she waited for it to load.

ROUGH DRAFT OF WANTED POSTER was scrawled across the top, and when she scrolled down, her eyes widened as she realized that she was staring at a screen-shot of a very very angry Jo.

"What the...hell?"

She scrolled down even further, and her heart stopped when she saw the amount of money being offered for her capture.

Someone really wanted her found. That much was certain.

888

Jo knew deep down what was wrong. Why they had been fighting so much. It had nothing to do with Megumi, and she knew it. She used it as an excuse not to talk to Meg, when in truth, she was just afraid Meg would find out. Jo had fallen for her. As much as she wanted to go back home to the wild, she didn't want to do it without Meg by her side.

She had no way of venting these frustrations except by fighting, and that was what she did with Meg. Verbally, anyway.

She wasn't sure what to do. The two things she wanted most, were tearing at her and pulling her in opposite directions. She was confused, and she knew that she would have to make up her mind, and soon.

Deciding her previous idea was the only proper course of action for gathering information, Jo set out on foot for where she thought Meg had picked her up from. From there, she could retrace her steps back to the building she had escaped from.

First though, she decided...She aimed for home. She couldn't mount this one-man raid with no weapons.

And she had to say goodbye to Meg.

A/N: I hate it when good fics get put on the back-burner! Reviews are appreciated :)


	28. Chapter 28

The Path Of Fate - Chapter 28

Meg was sitting on her couch, nervously drinking coffee and twirling her finger in her hair when Jo walked in, red eyes hard and emotionless.

"J-JO!" Meg jumped up from where she was sitting, setting down her coffee so she wouldn't spill it. She then rushed over to where Jo was standing. Looking up at her, she gently wrapped her arms around the other girl's waist.

"I'm sorry for fighting with you, Jo." She said softly, speaking Old Norse. It always calmed Jo down when she heard someone else speaking her native language, and Meg was hoping it would soothe her now.

Jo looked down at her, then swiftly brought her hands up to gently cup Meg's face.

"There is something I must do." She spoke softly, staring into Meg's eyes. Meg's breathing went shallow, and her heart sped up as she stared back, memorizing every detail about her sharp gaze and dark, smooth skin.

"W-what?" Meg asked, tightening her grip around Jo.

"I...must say goodbye to you. I am going back home."

All at once, a thousand emotions ran through Meg, none of them which she could control. She felt the tears come, unbidden, to her eyes, and she didn't try to resist when they began rolling down her cheeks.

"But...everything...I tried so hard to make you happy!"

Jo stared at her, silent for a moment as she cursed the tears she shed.

Meg finally couldn't look at her anymore, instead choosing to bury her face in Jo's chest and cry. Everything she had done meant nothing, she thought, fists clenching against Jo's back. She was behind in her rent; all her money went to feeding Jo. She was nearly penniless, her grades were terrible, she hadn't seen her friends in forever, and worst of all...

Her heart was breaking.

Meg sobbed, not understanding why Jo would do this. Jo herself offered no answers. She simply held Meg as she cried.

It was a few minutes later when Meg pulled away. She had managed to stop the flow of tears. Now, she turned away, and slowly walked back to the couch.

"Meg..." Jo quietly spoke up.

"Leave if you must, Jo. I won't beg you to stay."

Jo stared at her for a moment, before heading toward the room. Long unused, leaning against the wall, sat her axe, sword and sheath. She picked up her leather belt, and slipped it around her waist. She placed her axe in its rightful place, followed by her sword. A smile graced her lips, and she breathed a sigh of relief. No matter how much it hurt, it still felt right.

She exited the room, casting one last glance at Meg. The girl was sitting on the couch, legs held to her chest, facing away from her. Jo hesitated for a moment, then gave in. She walked over, and gently grabbed Meg's arm, pulling her around to face her.

"What do you want, Jo?"

Jo's answer was to simply bend down, and kiss her on the mouth. At first, Meg resisted, but it wasn't long before she changed her mind and her arms were around Jo's neck as she kissed her hard.

When Jo pulled away, licking her lips, there were once again tears on Meg's face.

"Stupid." She muttered, turning away again. "It's only going to make it that much harder for me..."

Jo said nothing; her gaze slid to the door. Almost as if Meg knew, she waved her hand dismissively.

"Go." Her voice was broken, defeated. As Jo turned away, she pretended that she hadn't seen her shoulders shake as she began crying again.

Jo turned back once more as she stood in the doorway, the comfort and familiarity of her weapons warring with the turmoil in her heart as she gazed upon the red-head.

"Meg," She said quietly, "I'll miss you."

With that, Jo was gone, walking on silent feet as she tried so hard to block out the sound of Meg's broken heart.

888

Jo sighed as she walked down the street. Her hips were bare once more; she had learned enough in the short time spent here that walking with weapons down the streets would get her into trouble real fast. They were now resting inside a bag slung over her shoulder. It felt wrong to remove them, but she knew it was for the better.

If memory served her correctly, she wasn't too far from her destination. She had been walking for nearly half an hour now, and she had just passed the spot where Meg had originally found her. It was almost unrecognizable, but the unique skyline had given it away. Now, she thought, as she rounded a corner, the building was in view. She stopped, and looked at it from across the street as she took a deep breath. This was the point of no return. Did she really want to abandon Meg here?

She knew the answer. She didn't want to. But she had to. Fighting was her calling, and to give it up forever would drive her insane. She couldn't be without it; fighting and getting drunk was really the only thing that made her happy. It also helped her forget Megumi...if only for a little while, she thought. That vibrant, beautiful girl would haunt her until she died, and even then, probably continue to do so.

She clutched her weapons tighter, and with thoughts of Meg floating in her mind, strode toward the rebuilt doors of the building that had disrupted her life.

888

Sei looked up sharply from her work as a frantic pounding on her door reached her ears.

"Forgive the intrusion, Miss Sei, but there is an urgent matter you must attend to." One of her secretaries burst in, pointing down the hall.

"What is it, what's going on?" Sei asked, standing.

"Shes...here!"

Confusion creased Sei's brow, as she moved toward the door.

"Who is...?"

As she stepped out into the hallway, her skipped a beat. Standing at the end of the hall, legs shoulder width apart and fists clenched, was Jo.

Sei wondered for a moment how she had come to find this building, or even this office, but none of it mattered when the ferocious girl began stalking toward her. With a gasp, her secretary fled, presumably to find help, but Sei stood her ground, determined to show no fear.

And she didn't, even when Jo grabbed her by the collar of her expensive shirt, nearly lifting her off the ground as she slammed her into the wall.

"I remember you." She growled, baring her teeth at her. "You were the first one I saw when I was taken."

Sei managed a glimpse at the clock on the wall, and maintained her composure.

"Yes. I've been looking for you...?"

"You can call me Johan." Her voice was gutteral, and her eyes narrowed. Unconsciously she slipped into Old Norse.

"You will take me home immediately!"

Sei raised her eyes questioningly, indicating that she had not understood.

"That was certainly not English, and I did not understand any of it." She said.

Jo growled and shook her hard. "Take me home!"

Sei looked once more at the clock.

_'10:59...another few seconds...'_

Sei looked at Jo and smiled. "But of course. That is exactly where I intend to send you."

Jo's eyes widened in momentary confusion, before tightening her grip on Sei's shirt.

"You wi-" She was cut off as a large fist slammed into the side of her head, instantly knocking her unconscious. She crumpled to the floor, as Kouta stood over her, staring down at her limp body.

"Of all the places I expected to find her, this wasn't one of them." He said conversationally, bending down and picking her up. He heaved her over his shoulder, then turned to Sei.

"I have captured her." He said, a grin on his face. "Rewards money now?"

Sei ignored him, and studied the girl in his grasp. "I certainly am glad you were on time for the eleven o'clock meeting, or I might have been in trouble."

"One does not simply walk late into a meeting with Miss Sei." He said.

Sei raised her eyebrow questioningly. "Really? Quoting old internet memes now, are you?"

He smiled smugly at her, then hoised the silver-haired girl into a more comfortable position.

"What am I doing with her?" He asked.

Sei motioned for him to follow.

"We're sending her back to where we got her. Follow me. We will take your car; mine is a two-seater."

He cast a dubious eye at Sei as he strode along-side her.

"Fine, but wipe your feet first." He said. Sei laughed. Kouta smiled to himself. He was only half joking.

They made their way down the stairs in a few moments, and as they were about to leave, Sei motioned to the receptionist.

"I'll be sending you an e-mail in a few minutes with the e-mail addresses of a few companies I want you to compose a message to. Details will be included."

The receptionist waved. "I'll be waiting." She said.

They stepped out of the buildng into the sunlight, Kouta ignoring the looks he recieved from the pedestrians.

"I parked in back." He confessed, pointing to the gated compound where employees, Sei included, kept their cars.

"How dd you get past the guard?" Sei asked, confused.

Kouta shrugged. "He was sympathetic to my pleas that the raw beauty that is my car not be subjected to the dangers of parking on the street." He said.

"Ahh...very...nice." Sei wasn't sure what to think. She loved her car, because it was new. From what she understood, Kouta had painstakingly restored his old car, spending three times the cost of her own on it, and much much more than it was worth.

Whether it was an attachment to the past that he could not let go of, or the desire to be unique, she couldn't tell.

She put the thought out of her mind as Kouta unlocked his car. In a few more minutes, this entire ordeal would be over.

A/N: Once again, apologies for the infrequency of updating. I re-read through this fic, and decided that when time allows, I shall rewrite it into the magnificent, glorious story it truly has the potential to be. I like where it is at right now, but it has the potential to be so much better, I think. Next chapter will _hopefully_ be up, without too much delay.


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